


Marinette In Underland

by MiraculousLadyNoir



Category: Labyrinth (1986), Miraculous Ladybug, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Labyrinth Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-06-06 16:02:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 39,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6760687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraculousLadyNoir/pseuds/MiraculousLadyNoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a young girl wakes up in a strange world with no memory of herself, she travels through the Underland in search of the only thing she can remember, a child she must save. Traveling with her, following behind, and watching her closely, are several characters with agendas and plans of their own. And all the while she's trying desperately to remember why she has a Ladybug costume and what it means to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, of course my first fic involves my latest obsession, Ladybug, but it's a crossover to mix things up! Constructive criticism is always welcome and greatly appreciated! And I don't hold back on spoilers so if you haven't finished Undertale, Ladybug, or Labyrinth you might want to do that before reading this.

Anon, to sudden silence won,  
In fancy they pursue  
The dream-child moving through a land  
Of wonders wild and new,  
In friendly chat with bird or beast –  
And half believe it true.  
~All In the Golden Afternoon  
By Lewis Carroll

Chapter 1  
Pain.  
That was the first thing she knew.  
Sound.  
That was the second.  
A golden scent was the third.  
Slowly her eyes opened. They were heavy and tired and easily slid shut again.  
A few moments later she tried again, succeeding in opening her lids fully this time. Her surroundings were swathed in deep brown shadows while a thin beam of light fell over head. Her body lay in a tiny pool of soft golden flowers.  
How had she come here?  
Where was here?  
...Who was she?  
Her head swam and ached with an emptiness that she didn't understand. Wracking her brain only proved to increase the throbbing and she quickly ceased trying to remember anything. Standing on unsteady feet she looked out into the darkness, searching for a possible path or way out of wherever she was. But nothing appeared and the only clear escape seemed to be the opening several feet above her head.  
Not caring about much aside from seeking help for her head, the Girl stumbled forward and simply walked. After several minutes of intense darkness she suddenly walked into an barrier and her unsteady momentum propelled her forward until she came out under another patch of sunlight upon a mound of grass. A single golden flower stood in the center, it’s round face smiling at her. The throbbing in her head faded and was replaced by a distinct fuzziness that made thinking difficult. Were flowers supposed to smile?  
“You made it, I’m glad!” the Flower exclaimed eagerly.  
She frowned and the Flower’s smile faded “Don’t you remember me, Chara?”  
Chara.  
Who was that?  
Was it…her?  
It felt both wrong and right at once. She felt her head shake but she didn’t move, what was happening?  
The Flower drooped a moment before perking up “I suppose that’s understandable! After all, you’ve just Determined yourself back! You can call me Flowey for now! And, Chara…” The Flower stopped and appeared to be listening closely to something though she said nothing. “You’re not…what? Never mind, the point is, I can help you achieve what you want. You want to leave right? I know how to do that! All you have to do is give me…” The Flower’s face twisted suddenly and she stepped back with a gasp of horror. “YOURSELF! GIVE YOURSELF TO ME AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS FOR THIS WORLD!”  
Terror filled the girl but an emotion, separate from her own, pulled toward the Flower. For a brief moment she was falling backwards as a ghostly child surged forwards. She knew this child. She had to…protect this child. A scream of protest choked in her throat as she reached out to stop the phantom but a sudden crashing noise shattered the apparition. The girl landed on the ground and looked up at the looming, smiling Flower.  
“I can give you your dreams…” he started in an alluring tone.  
The Girl tried to back away but was stopped when a white fire suddenly burst from the darkness and rushed towards them, consuming the Flower furiously.  
The Golden Blossom shrieked in rage and disappeared into the earth.  
A figure stepped from the darkness clothed in robes and carrying a light. “What a horrible creature! To attack such a young girl…my dear are you hurt?”  
The girl shook her head even as she slid away from the creature. Despite it’s docile tone, it was indeed a monster with a goat like face, white fur that covered it’s body, and two small horns atop it’s head. She felt very sure that this wasn’t normal.  
“Ah” the creature sensed her fear and held up two reassuring paws. “Do not be afraid my child. I am not here to harm you. My name is Toriel and I am the caretaker of the ruins you have found yourself in. If I may, you seem to have injured your head, shall I examine it?”  
The Girl suddenly realized that her head was throbbing again and her fear gave way to pain as she doubled over defenselessly.  
“Oh dear! You poor thing!” the goat woman exclaimed as she hurried to the Girl’s side and fussed over her a moment. “I cannot examine it well enough here, though it is easy to see you are bleeding. Can you stand? If so, follow me and I will lead you to a place where you will be better tended.”  
The Girl nodded, knowing that even if the creature really had wanted to harm her, there would have been no point in the act of caring. Slowly she stood and followed as the woman led her forward onto a path.  
“Do you have a name, my Child?” Toriel asked.  
The Girl opened her mouth and then stopped as emptiness filled her. Tears stung her eyes and she shook her head before crying out in pain.  
“There, there, do not hurt yourself anymore. It is alright if you do not remember. Shall I come up with something for you?” Toriel offered in a gentle tone.  
The Girl nodded carefully and waited while her companion pondered a moment.  
“I hope you do not mind a name so obvious, but given your outfit I cannot help but to consider, Ladybug? Would that be suitable?”  
The Girl stopped.  
Ladybug.  
Was that her name?  
No, but…she knew it. A familiar voice came to mind above a crash of thunder.  
“Ladybug!”  
She didn’t know who the voice belonged to but she was sure he was calling to her. She clenched a fist over her heart and looked to Toriel with a joyful smile as tears filled her eyes again. “Yes. Yes, Ladybug would be nice!”  
Toriel smiled happily and nodded. “Then Ladybug you shall be!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for all the encouragement, you guys are the best! As before, there are going to be plenty of spoilers for Ladybug, Undertale, and Labyrinth so if you haven't finished any of these yet I suggest you go do that. Of course, if spoilers don't bother you then please go right ahead! Also, I fully intend to (fingers crossed) start posting a chapter regularly on Thursdays but they may come as late as Friday depending on whether or not I can find the time.

Chapter 2

They soon came to Toriel’s home and Ladybug felt some of her tension fade in the comforting atmosphere of the place. Wood floors and the distinct sound of a crackling fire coupled with the same sweet scent of the golden flowers refreshed her weary mind.  
“I will show you to your room where you may rest…but first, accompany me and I will see to your head.” Toriel turned to the left and led Ladybug into what appeared to be a living room. The girl sat in a big, soft chair while Toriel hurried into another room and came back with a rag and bandages. After thoroughly cleaning and inspecting the wound, she nodded. “There is no concussion and all should heal nicely.” She wrapped up Ladybug’s head and stood “Now follow me.”  
The girl followed her back down the hall and into what appeared to be a child’s bedroom. “You may rest here for now. Do not feel as though you must be quick. You should sleep well and rise when you are ready.”  
Ladybug nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, wondering if she would fit in it.  
“Oh, also” Toriel paused in the doorway, “Do you like cinnamon or butterscotch more?”  
Ladybug tilted her head and pondered a moment. Vague memories of delectable smells rising up to greet her in bed filled her mind for a moment and she smiled at Toriel. “I think…I like them both!”  
Toriel smiled happily “Wonderful! Well then, I shall leave you to rest now.” She turned the lights off and crept out, quietly shutting the door behind her.  
Ladybug crawled under the covers and curled into a ball. She was asleep in under a minute.

The Girl woke floundering. Everything was dark and her world was spinning. Where was she? A vice seemed to clamp around her throat as the next question surfaced. Who was she? Terrified of the emptiness circling her she scrambled out of bed and across the room, desperately searching for a light. Her hands found what felt like a lamp and frantically traced up the shape until she found a promising string. A slight tug, a soft click and a gentle light flooded the room. She breathed out a sigh of relief and stumbled back to the bed where she wearily took in her surroundings. She found herself in what appeared to be a child’s room; to her right was what looked like a wardrobe, next to that was a small book case and in the far corner of the same wall sat the little round table that held the lamp. Breathing deeply of the sweet aroma that filled the room she let her eyes drift to her feet where a plate lay. Miraculously untouched, a piece of what looked like butterscotch pie sat invitingly on the plate. Picking up the plate up she wondered who had left it there as she headed for the door.  
Outside she found herself in the entrance of a long, yellow hallway. She followed it to the end, checking each door. The first next to the child’s room was dark but appeared to be another bedroom, for an adult this time. An open book on the desk by the door held several bad puns. Flipping through them awoke an aching longing in her chest that she couldn’t explain. Exiting the room she followed the hall and found the last door locked and apparently under repair.  
The sight of a mirror at the end of the corridor caught her attention and she drifted towards it, wondering if she would recognize the girl she saw. Big blue eyes were the first things she noticed, next was her messy black pigtails. She quickly began pulling them out and rearranging them, one-handedly, as she turned and walked back the way she had come, passing the child’s room and moving into what appeared to be an entrance way to the house with a set of stairs leading to a basement to her left. As she adjusted her hair she found that her head was carefully wrapped in bandages. What had happened? Had she hit her head? Is that why she couldn’t remember anything? A sickening feeling of dread filled her. Did she have amnesia? Did that even actually exist? She finished her hair gingerly and pressed into the next room. The warm crackle of a fireplace greeted her along with a gentle, welcoming voice. “Up already, I see! How are you feeling, dear?”  
“Better” As the words came, so did the memories. Waking up amidst golden flowers, the darkness, the apparition and… The Girl writhed in embarrassment a moment before apologizing quietly “I’m…I’m sorry but I can’t remember your name.”  
“That is quite alright, Ladybug, my name is Toriel.” The goat-woman responded kindly.  
A feeling of relief filled the Girl. Ladybug, that’s right, that was her name now, and it was a name she had known from somewhere before. It was a start.  
“I’m glad to see that you had a change of clothes though, I must admit, I’m not sure where you got them from.” Toriel commented curiously.  
Ladybug looked down at her pink pants, white shirt and black blazer and found herself wondering where the clothes had come from, she couldn’t remember changing but then, she couldn’t remember a lot of things. She wondered what she had been wearing before, something that had made Toriel think of a ladybug, but what?  
“Um” Toriel’s voice pulled her out of her musing. “I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here.” The goat-woman adjusted her reading glasses and smiled at the girl. “There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I’ve also prepared a curriculum for your education. This may come as a surprise to you….but I have always wanted to be a teacher”  
Ladybug held back a laugh at the woman’s eagerness. She wasn’t surprised at all that Toriel wanted to be a teacher, she wondered if she had had any teachers before.  
“…actually, perhaps that isn’t very surprising. STILL. I’m glad to have you living here.” Toriel continued in an almost huffy tone.  
Ladybug’s smile faded. Living here. So she hadn’t lived here before. Of course, Toriel didn’t know who she was. A weight filled her chest and her fingers clutched the edges of the plate of pie.  
Toriel noticed the girl’s face drooping and her own smile faded. “Oh, did you want something? What is it?”  
“I…don’t think I can stay here, Toriel.” Ladybug murmured as she moved closer to the woman’s chair. “I can’t remember anything about me and…I don’t think I’ll be able to remember if I stay here. I need to find a way back home. To my home. Plus,” the girl sighed “I feel like I’m forgetting someone important. Someone I was supposed to…protect. I have to find them Toriel, and I can’t do that here.”

  
There was silence for a moment before Toriel spoke again. “I’m sure if you forgot them, they weren’t something you should be remembering. How about I tell you an interesting snail fact?”  
“Toriel, I need to leave” Ladybug stated firmly. “Will you help me?”  
Toriel’s eyes searched the girl a moment before the woman stood abruptly. “I have to do something” she murmured. “Stay here.”  
Ladybug watched the strange woman sweep pass her wordlessly and her stomach twisted at the look on the older woman’s face. She hesitated a moment, fear and the urge to stay in this sweet place weighed her feet down, but a different kind of fear pulled her after Toriel. Trepidly she stepped out into the entrance hall and towards the staircase. Down the staircase the lighting grew dim, it was dark and cold down here. Ladybug could see Toriel, standing a short distance away and hurried to her. “Toriel…” she started.  
“You wish to go ‘home’ do you not?” Toriel asked in a quiet tone.  
Ladybug looked up at her fearfully.  
“Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins.” Toriel continued “A one way exit to the rest of the Underworld. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs.” And with that Toriel left her, moving deeper into the dark hallway.  
Ladybug didn’t know what to make of this. What had she done to make the gentle goat-woman act like this? What was going on? What was the Underworld? Sucking in a steadying breath she pressed forward.  
A few steps forward and she found Toriel again. The woman seemed to be hesitating.  
Ladybug reached out to her but stopped when the woman spoke.  
“Every human that falls down here meets the same fate.” Toriel whispered hoarsely. “I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. You naive child. If you leave the Ruins…they…Asgore…will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?”  
Ladybug felt her throat constrict again. What was she talking about? Why would anyone want to kill her? What had she done?  
“Go to your room” Toriel ordered before continuing on.  
Desperation spurred her forward this time. She needed to know more. Who were these people? What had she done to them? Why did Toriel seem so angry and yet…so afraid? She stumbled after the woman and found her hesitating in the turn of the hallway.  
“Do not try to stop me.” Toriel commanded “This is your final warning.”  
“Wait!” Ladybug called but the woman had already left her behind. Panic was rising in the girl as she ran on.  
She found Toriel at the end of the hallway, facing a large pair of doors.  
“You want to leave that badly?” Toriel asked without turning around.  
“I told you, I need to find someone!” Ladybug gasped as the panic threatened to overwhelm her.  
“Hmph.” Toriel snorted in annoyance “You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself… Prove to me you are strong enough to survive.”  
There was a loud snap and a section of the lights went out. Ladybug cast about desperately for something to stop it all.  
Another snap and the rest of the lights went out. Everything was dark. Despairingly dark.  
Light.  
Ladybug looked longingly to the white light that lit up the end of the hall, but was distraught to find that it was Toriel’s flames.  
Wordlessly the woman attacked the girl, shooting fire in every direction.  
Choking on a scream Ladybug dove out of the way, frantically dodging the missiles as they came. A memory sparked in the back of her mind, vague and blurry but there; a memory of dodging and battling missiles before. Her body moved with a strange fluidity. She could see the pattern in the attacks. She knew how to avoid them. And she knew how to hit back. “Stop Toriel” she begged “Please, stop and explain it to me!”  
Toriel looked through her and didn’t respond, sending another barrage of attacks forward.  
“Toriel! Why are you doing this?” Ladybug dodged again and prepared herself for an attack with a deep sense of dread. “Toriel!” And it was then that she saw them. The Choices. Words were floating before her, Fight, Act, Item, and Mercy. She reached for the last one and her hand brushed through something. A new option appeared. Spare or Run? She hesitated before touching Spare.  
“What are you doing?” Toriel barked, sending forth another whirlwind of flames.  
Ladybug dodged the fire and reached for the Choice again. Mercy. Spare.  
“Stop it!” Toriel roared “Fight me or flee!” The fire came again.  
Balancing carefully Ladybug danced through the flames and touched the Choices again. Mercy. Spare.  
Another attack came but…it avoided the girl itself, swirling around her threateningly.  
“Go back!” Toriel pleaded.  
Ladybug pushed the Choices again. Mercy. Spare.  
The next attack avoided her as well.  
Mercy. Spare.  
“I know you want to go home, but…” Toriel started in a soft tone, dropping her arms and letting the flames dim “But please…go upstairs now.”  
“You know I can’t” Ladybug murmured. Mercy. Spare.  
“I promise I will take good care you here.”  
“I know” The girl’s voice had dropped to a whisper. Mercy. Spare.  
“I know we do not have much but…” Toriel started to plead  
Mercy. Spare.  
“We can have a good life here.”  
Mercy. Spare.  
“Why are you making this so difficult?” Toriel demanded.  
Ladybug shook her head and Chose. Mercy. Spare.  
“Please go upstairs!” Tears hovered in the goat-woman’s eyes.  
Ladybug swiped moisture from her own eyes and doggedly reached for her Choices. Mercy. Spare.  
A smile crept up Toriel’s face and she laughed softly. “Pathetic is it not?” She murmured as she watched the girl Spare her again. “I cannot save even a single child.”  
Ladybug Chose again. And again. “Can’t you see?” she begged.  
“No, I understand.” Toriel sighed wearily “You would just be unhappy trapped down here.”  
“That’s not it!” Ladybug tried to protest.  
“The Ruins are very small once you get used to them.” Toriel smiled. “It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations… My loneliness… My fears… For you, my child…I will put them aside.”  
The lights returned and Toriel’s flames disappeared.  
“If you truly wish to leave the Ruins” Toriel spoke again “I will not stop you. However, when you leave…Please do not come back. I hope you understand.” She turned and embraced the young girl.  
Ladybug hugged her back, squeezing the woman tightly. “Thank you so much…for everything” she whispered through her tears.  
“Goodbye my child” Toriel sighed as she released the girl and stepped past her. She paused a few steps behind the girl and turned back. “I am not sure if you were aware of this” she spoke quietly “but it would appear that you undergo a transformation in preparation for battle…and it was in that transformation that I first found you. Perhaps your dilemma is unrelated to your injury. I hope that this information will help you to remember. Also, be careful and don't forget to watch behind you.”  
Ladybug turned around, a hundred questions on her lips, but Toriel had already disappeared into the shadows of the hallway. The girl was left alone, wondering; what had Toriel meant by ‘transformation? How could her forgetfulness be attributed to anything other than her injury? And what on earth had she been doing battling before any of this started? Her head swirled and ached and she sighed, releasing the built up tension in her body. Turning again, she faced the doors. As she reached out to push them open, she realized that the Choices had disappeared with Toriel.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, beware of spoilers!  
> Also, thanks for all of the wonderful support! You guys are the best!

Chapter 3

  
The hallway stretched on once the doors were opened. Ladybug crept softly through the darkness feeling relieved when her surroundings began to grow lighter. She stepped forward with a little more bravery and determination…and right through another invisible barrier. Pulling up short she took in her surrounding. Pitch black shadows encircled her like walls but in the very center sunlight seemed to fall upon a mound of grass that held a single, smiling, Flower.  
“Very clever Chara, very clever” Flowey smiled grimly. “You must think you’re sooooo smart, don’t you? In this world, it’s kill or be killed, you used to understand that. So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person.” The Flower convulsed in a fit of hoarse giggles. “I bet you feel really great about yourself! You didn’t kill anybody this time! But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer? You’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die. Until you tire of trying. What will you do then? Will you kill out of frustration?” Flowey’s face twisted into a gleeful snarl “Or will you give up entirely on this world…and let me inherit the power to control it? I am the Prince of this world’s future!” He laughed again before settling down “Don’t worry, my little monarch, my plan isn’t regicide. This is so much more interesting! Meet me at the end of the Labyrinth, I’ll be waiting!” Cackling to himself, the Golden Flower disappeared into the ground.  
The vision faded and Ladybug sucked in a breath of hot air. She was standing in what appeared to be a desert scape. In front of her, stretching away into the distance, was what appeared to be an immense labyrinth. She cast about for some explanation as to what had just happened and why she was there, but nothing appeared. “Alright” she blew out her breath “just keep moving forward. Someone’s bound to turn up at some point...I hope.”  
Approaching the the towering stone she found her first dilemma in the lack of any form of entrance. She walked along the walls that seemed to stretch out endlessly until finally forced to stop due to her aching feet. “Please tell me there’s more than one entrance” she sighed as her eyes continued on down the unbreaking line of stone. “Or that it’s on my side of this…whatever it is.” Labyrinth? Or fortress? Or simply a wall? She wasn’t sure anymore. A grunting sound caught her attention and her gaze moved from the wall and back over the landscape. To her surprise she found that it had changed in the time she had been focused on searching for an entry way. She sat on a decorative stone in what appeared to be a dead garden, bare of anything save a few dry desert plants. A few feet off to her right was a small, dirty, square pond and standing in front of that pond was a strange little man refilling a strange little water gun. She watched him gauge the weight of the gun and then turn towards her. Her heart skipped a beat. His head was a skull. Empty sockets holding two, tiny, lights stared out at her and a dead-man’s smile pasted across his skinless face.  
“Hey there human, aren’t you a little far from home?”  
She couldn’t breath, couldn’t even process what was happening as the skeleton approached her.  
“Hey, don’t you know it’s rude to stare? You know, you don’t look so good, you okay?”  
He was near now…near enough to touch. She leaned away, her mind running amok as she tried to simply move, escape.  
“Don’t move, Human.”  
He was there. Right next to her, the water gun pointed at her face and she found herself wondering if it was actually water inside…after all, she didn’t know what was in that pond. He pulled the trigger. A green stream shot out and soared over her shoulder, hitting an enormous insect that had been hovering unnoticed by her ear. Her eyes moved from the downed thing with wings to the skeleton.  
The creature hoisted the gun over his shoulder and somehow his face stretched into a greater smile. “Crisis averted!” He chuckled a deep throaty chuckle with a hint of an accent and turned away, strolling down the side of the wall “You’re welcome!”  
As Ladybug learned how to breathe again she found herself dwelling upon the distinct impression that this creature had been fully aware of his affect on her. As the distance between them grew her senses calmed she watched him curiously. He appeared to be lazily patrolling the wall, shooting down the large insects as he went. Her gaze dropped down to the one at her feet and a gasp escaped her. It wasn’t a bug at all, it was a faerie. “Why you horrible…!” she started as scooped up the dying creature.  
The Faerie lifted herself up in Ladybug’s palm and for a moment their eyes met, the creature was thin and as frail looking as a spiderweb.  
“You’re beautiful” Ladybug whispered.  
The Faerie’s head fell again and a short scream escaped the girl as pain shot through her palm and she dropped her tiny burden.  
“She bit me!” Ladybug exclaimed in shock as she examined her hand.  
“Of course she did, what did you expect from a faerie?” the Skeleton asked with another chuckle.  
“I don’t know I…” she realized that expecting wishes might have been a bit much, childish even. But then again, she never really knew what to expect from this place. “I didn’t expect that!” she finished decidedly.  
“Figures” the Skeleton laughed, shaking his head and possibly wiping a tear from his eyeless sockets.  
Ladybug scowled as she rubbed her sore hand and watched him move on. Eventually curiosity got the better of her and she couldn’t resist asking one of the several hundred questions running through her brain. “What are you doing?”  
“Watching for humans.” The Skeleton answered as he shot down another fairy.  
“Humans? Like me? Why?” She looked around and her heart skipped another beat, was it possible that she wasn’t the only one down here? Or even that someone she knew was just up ahead? Maybe even looking for her?  
“I was told to. It’s a job or something. But…you know…” he yawned loudly and shrugged without turning around “I don’t really care about capturing anybody.”  
Ladybug’s heart skipped a beat. “C…capturing?” she repeated and Toriel’s last warning came back to mind. “ _If you leave the Ruins…they…Asgore…will kill you.”_   Why?  
“Now my brother, Papyrus” the Skeleton continued obliviously “he’s a human-hunting fanatic! Actually, if you see him along the way, you should say hi, he’d be overjoyed. He’s always wanted to see a real human!”  
“I…take it that means you don’t get a lot of humans down here?” she asked tentatively.  
“Nah, not in a long time.” He answered airily.  
“What’s the deal with humans here anyway?” she demanded as she found a spark of courage “Why’re people trying to…to…capture them?”  
The Skeleton turned to regard her closely “I could tell you but…” he shrugged again “I’m too lazy. Guess you’ll figure it out on you’re way through.” He turned and shot down another faerie.  
“Through? Right” She turned back to face the wall she had momentarily forgotten. “How do I get in anyways?”  
“Get in where?”  
“The Labyrinth.”  
“What about it?”  
“How do I get in?”  
“Where?”  
She frowned and pointed to the wall. “There! How do I get in there?”  
“Where?”  
“The Labyrinth! How do I get into the Labyrinth!”  
He faced her again and grinned “Good question!” With measured steps he ambled back to her and Ladybug couldn’t stop her body from stiffening as he passed. “You get in there” he informed, pointing behind her to a large gate set in the wall.  
“Where…did that come from?” she asked in wonder as she stepped up to it and caressed the open doors that had appeared out of nowhere.  
“You sure you want to go in there?” The Skeleton asked and there was a hint of doubt in his voice.  
A chill wind blew out of the dark corridor and Ladybug shivered before straightening her spine and nodding. “Yes. I have to.” She stepped inside before turning around, another question on her lips. “By the way have you seen a…”  
But the small Skeleton was gone.  
A chill crept up her spine as she wondered if he had ever been there in the first place. But who had she been talking too and who had shown her the way in? She looked to her right where the narrow pathway lead off down a clear if slightly overgrown passage. To her left lay a mirror image of left save that it was littered with dead branches. The chill wind blew again but she couldn’t tell where it was coming from.  
“Cozy isn’t it?”  
A scream escaped the girl as she stumbled forward then whirled furiously on the Skeleton who was casually leaning on the wall behind her. How had he even gotten there?  
He chuckled again before moving his head to survey her choices. “So, you wanna go right or left?”  
She scowled at him but eventually had to look at her options again. “They look about the same.” She sighed, hoping against hope for some advice.  
“Well, you’re gunna go far kid.” He snorted sarcastically.  
“Which way would you go?” she demanded.  
“Neither way” he replied cryptically.  
Ladybug sighed and rubbed her throbbing head. “Is there a way you would take through this place?”  
He grinned at her. “Good question!” Wordlessly he strolled past her and back through the gate. “Try that wall in front of you and try to remember _everything is not as it seems_.” He called over his shoulder.  
She studied the wall a moment before turning back to him. “Thanks” she offered cautiously, still not sure if he had been of any help to her. “By the way, have you seen a child pass through here?”  
“What kind of child?” the Skeleton asked without turning to look at her.  
Ladybug clenched her fists, wishing she could remember something, anything, about this mysterious person she was searching for. An idea struck her and a smile slid up her face as she replied “A human child.”  
The Skeleton possibly glanced back at her, at least, the two white dots in his sockets slid her way briefly. “Nah kid. Not in this life time.” He took another step forward and the gates started to swing shut of their own accord. “What do you want with that kid anyways?”  
Ladybug had already turned and started examining the wall again. “They’re someone I’m supposed to protect.” She replied absently as she reached out to touch the stone work.  
“Well, watch out for yourself kid.” His tone sounded almost, concerned.  
She looked back at him, another couple hundred questions on her lips but the near sealed doors cut her off. “What’s your name?” she called out.  
“Sans. Sans the Skeleton.” He answered.  
“Thank you for your help Sans! I’m Ladybug.”  
“That’s what I thought.”  
The doors closed completely.  
Ladybug frowned and surveyed herself. Pink pants, white shirt with a floral design, black blazer…what about her had led him to guessing her temporary name? Shaking her head over the mysterious character, she looked to the wall again, reaching out to prod where the stone ought to have been, but there was only air. She passed through and found herself standing in an open place with small confusing bursts of wall scattered around the single remaining stone piece of the previous wall. She stepped out and then back in, grinning as she recognized the optical illusion.  
“Thanks Sans!” She called again, doubting he could hear her, as she headed out into the Labyrinth. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, SPOILERS! And thank you to everyone who's reading this story!

Chapter 4  
Slowly the Boy’s eyes opened to blinding white light. _'Am I dead?'_ was the first thought to cross his hazy mind. He lay still for a long while, afraid to move his numb body for fear of possible impending hurt. At last a sigh escaped his lips and he cautiously shifted his arms so as to push himself up off his back. A sharp pain ran along his spine and took his breath away but it passed as soon as it came and he managed to pull himself to his feet. Balancing unsteadily on weak legs, he assessed the damage. His clothes were ruined, Father would be furious, and he felt bruises forming all along his sore body. His hands sought out the injury on his back and he winced when he found the spot that sent lightning bolts of pain shooting through his body. Sucking in a steading breath he surveyed his surroundings. A dark cave with sunlight pouring down on the patch of golden flowers he stood upon. Casting about himself, searching for some clue as to how he had gotten there, he found his gaze traveling back to the light above him. He remembered falling so that distant opening was probably where he had come in. He hoped it wasn’t the only way out as well. He turned in a slow circle, searching for something he couldn’t remember. What was it? It was important, that he was sure of. But what was it? It felt strange to be so alone. “Hello?” he called out.  
_Hello? Hello?_ The empty echo answered.  
His heart pounded in his throat as he shuffled hesitantly towards the outer darkness. “Hello?” What was he looking for? Who was he hoping to find? Moving reluctantly forward he simply put one foot in front of the other with the aching drive to find whatever he had lost.  
Time passed without measurement as he toiled onward lost in thought. What had happened last night and how had he come to be here? A horrible question caught his attention and he froze when he realized he didn’t have an answer. Over and over the question replayed in his mind _‘Who am I?’_  
A broken sob escaped him. Images and pictures flashed through his mind; mother, father, a large house, too many clothes…it all meant so much but nothing. Like watching glass shatter and fall he remembered and yet couldn’t understand. His knees shook hard until they finally buckled and he fell. Why did everything hurt so much?”  
“My child!” A tender voice gasped and soft, white arms suddenly held him.  
With a distant sort of curiosity he looked up into a strange goat-like face. “Ma’am, I…” not sure what he had planned on saying he left it at that and allowed his heavy eyes to slide shut.

_“…Lady…”_  
With a gasp the Boy sat up straight and groaned at the pain that flooded his body. The sharpest of the pain was gone but the aching of his bruises throbbed noticeably. Slowly he lay back down and wiped the sweat from his brow. Where was he? A dark room, soft blankets covered him and a small, old mattress gave up trying to conform to his body…but it was still softer that the ground in the cave. Standing he felt his way to a wall and then across the room to what felt like a lamp. A bit of fumbling and he managed to shed some light on his situation. He was in what appeared to be a child’s room…a poor child’s room. This wasn’t his room. He started for the door and then paused, retrieving a piece of cold pie from the center of the floor. His empty stomach growled and his mouth watered at the tantalizing scent that drifted from the creation and he eagerly scooped a bite into his mouth with the provided fork as he wandered out of the room. Outside he found himself in an empty hallway that led to a dead end on his left. He walked down it, investigating each room thoroughly. The second door appeared to lead to a larger bedroom while the last one was locked. Golden flowers decorated the hall along with several mirrors. He took a good look at his face in one and winced. His father would not be happy. This thought brought a pause. Who was his father? And why would he be so mad? He couldn’t remember; which ought to have worried him but the pie had put him in a good mood and he brushed such thoughts away as he turned to explore the rest of the house. The other end of the hallway transformed into an entrance with a big wooden door on his left and a staircase to his right. He crept curiously to the stair but was stopped by a voice calling to him from the next room. “Is that you, my Child?”  
Stepping across the small entrance he entered an old fashioned living room where he found the speaker seated in a plush old chair beside a fireplace. He tilted his head, regarding the woman curiously. She was pure white, furry, and her face resembled a goat.  
The woman smiled “Good morning! I am glad to see you awake!” Her eyes dropped to the empty plate in his hand and her smile grew “Did you enjoy the pie?”  
He nodded, deciding instantly that he liked this person. Drawing closer he smiled back. “Yes, it was fantastic! Thank you very much!”  
“You’re quite welcome!” She replied happily.  
“I would also like to thank you for the bed Ms. …er…”  
“Toriel” she replied, standing and cordially shaking his hand. “And you, my child?”  
“Adrien.” The name came like an instinct and a sudden wave of relief swept through him. That’s right, Adrien. He was Adrien Agreste and…and he was looking for…the object continued to elude him but he felt much closer than he had hours ago. He looked up at Toriel’s gentle face and his smile softened as he dropped his gaze.  
“Is something wrong, Adrien?” Toriel asked in concern.  
“No…it’s just…” a slight blush crept up his neck as he mumbled softly “You somehow remind me of my mother.”  
The next thing he knew he was being held tightly in a strong but soft embrace.  
“My dear child” Toriel whispered softly and he thought he heard a sob catch in her throat. Worriedly he wrapped his arms around her.  
“Are you alright?”  
She nodded and released him, dabbing her eyes furtively. “I am just…honored that you would consider me so.”  
He smiled again in relief and then took the seat she offered him.  
Dinner was eaten by the fire and then they both retired to their respective rooms.  
Adrien curled up in the child’s bed and savored a feeling of warmth that had been missing in his life ever since his mother’s disappearance. As the memories started coming back he began to feel truly happy where he was.

_“Chat!”_  
The bloodcurdling scream tore through his heart and he sat up, breathless and terrified. Adrien cast about in the darkness and then doubled over, gagging as the adrenaline rush peaked and faded in an unpredicted wave. Stumbling out of bed he pulled on his white over shirt and grabbed his shoes. His body moved almost with a mind of its own, following the impulse of his beating heart as he raced to the entrance way and down the stairs. At the bottom he slid his shoes on and followed the dark hallway. Some innate presence drew him on and he could almost feel himself following in the footsteps of the person who had screamed. At the very end he reached a pair of forbidding looking doors and there paused. By now, his racing heart had calmed a bit and he could think again. What was he doing here? Where was the person? There must be some mistake…  
“Then, it is as I feared…” a weary voice sighed behind him.  
Turning he watched as the darkness was lit with a sudden light, revealing Toriel.  
“You follow after the girl then, do you not?” She asked quietly.  
What girl? He didn’t give it much thought though as it was Toriel’s tone that worried him right now. “Toriel, is something wrong?”  
“Why are you here, Adrien?” Toriel asked coldly as she waved her hand and created a ring of floating flames around her.  
“T…Toriel!” he gasped, backing into the doors fearfully.  
“Who are you Adrien, and why are you chasing her?” Toriel demanded, moving closer,  
“I don’t know what you…”  
“She was injured” Toriel’s voice was soft now “And afraid. Her memories were gone. She had been battling someone but escaped alive. It only makes sense that one would come after her. Why are you here, Adrien?”  
His throat had gone dry, he didn’t understand what she was saying but something in it resonated with him. This girl, is that who he was looking for? Was it her who had screamed? Swallowing his fear he held his hands out to Toriel “I’m not here to hurt anyone.”  
Toriel closed her eyes and shook her head. “I have no way of believing you. And so” she breathed deeply and glared at him “I must not let you pass.”  
Fire soared towards him, crackling through the air to crash into the door as he ducked and rolled out of the way.  
Righting himself, Adrien looked to Toriel and was unable to shake the feeling of betrayal. He stood, readying himself to move away from another attack but paused. Words hovered before him, Choices. Green and black like neon lights they called to him. Fight Act, Item, Mercy. Fire flew at him and he jumped back. The Choices followed. Desperately he reached out and touched Act. The other Choices vanish, replaced by two new Choices, Check and Talk. He reached for talk but was unable to think of anything to say.  
Toriel pressed forward, moving so as to place herself between him and the door; and then sent her flames after him.  
Adrien avoided the missiles and found the Choices had returned. He reached for Act and Chose Check this time. A scramble of battle statistics flashed through before vanishing in the heat of oncoming fire. He moved to avoid them, wincing at the waves of burning energy that soared inches from his body.  
The Choices were there again. He touched Act but was out of options. Talk gained him nothing.  
Dodge, duck, feet moving to the opening in the attacks. Choices. He paused, his hand hovering over Act. He slid his finger over to the right, looked at Toriel waiting for him to do something, hardened himself and Chose.  
“What are you doing?” Toriel demanded, as she found herself once again being spared by a child. “Fight me!” She vented her fury in another attack.  
Adrien avoided the flames and set his determination as he Chose again. Mercy. Spare.  
“What…” Toriel attacked again but with less vigor.  
Adrien walked through the flames, drawing closer to her. Mercy. Spare.  
“Why?” She asked. Another wave of flames but these moved around him.  
Adrien moved closer. Mercy and Spare.  
Toriel hesitated and then dimmed her flames. “Why?” she asked again.  
Adrien looked up from the Choices to meet her gaze. “I told you. I’m not here to hurt anyone and…and…I wasn’t lying when I said you reminded me of my mother.”  
She smiled softly and then shook her head “Clearly I was mistaken about you. But…forgive me, I only wanted to keep her safe.”  
“Who?” Who was this mysterious girl Toriel expected him to know?  
Shaking her head she moved past him. “You’ll see, I suppose. I trust you to look after her when you do find her.” She paused in the hallway and looked back. “Be careful, my child. There are many that seek your souls.” She only managed to take one more step forward before he caught her from behind in a tight hug.  
“Thank you.” Adrien whispered hoarsely.  
Toriel swiped several tears from her eyes and returned the embrace. “Forgive me, and stay safe my Child.” She murmured.  
Stepping back, he nodded and flashed her a smile before returning to the great doors.  
Toriel remained in the hallway, watching as the boy opened the gates and left the Ruins behind. She sucked in a shaky breath and prayed for the two children’s safety.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys just don't stop! And for that I'm very grateful. You're all so wonderfully supportive! Sorry this chapter's a little late but here it is! Again, beware of spoilers!

Chapter 5

 It was snowing.

Ladybug watched as her breath fogged and faded in front of her. It was also very cold. She doubted that she had ever seen so much snow in her life and it certainly hadn’t been snowing wherever she had come from because her pink Capri's and decorative blazer did nothing to protect her from the chill that was seeping in. And as for her shoes, oh her shoes! She had lost feeling in her feet a while ago. Rubbing her arms she looked at the snow covered pines and couldn’t hold back a smile, it really was beautiful. The sky was bright if a little cloudy but the going was tough, she worked up a little sweat pushing through the dunes of frozen water doggedly, thankfully it hadn’t snowed since she left the warmer parts of the Labyrinth. She did wonder about the sudden weather change, that didn’t seem normal. Or maybe it was only abnormal where she came from. Whatever the case, she felt quite sure a person didn’t pass through an arch and leave behind a dry stone court bathed in summer heat and fall face first into a pile of winter snow back home…wherever home was. Thoughts of home led her mind back to Toriel and she wondered if the woman was alright. What was she doing right now? Maybe cooking a delicious dinner? Or perhaps she was sitting by the fireplace reading one of her many books about snails. Snails, Ladybug chuckled at the thought and then sobered. Whatever Toriel was doing, she was doing it alone. Shaking away such dismal musings, she set her face forward and promised herself that, as soon as she was finished with her task, she would return to the woman and they would enjoy a meal together… She stopped and then dug into her pocket. There she found the slightly smooshed but still whole, piece of butterscotch and cinnamon pie wrapped in a napkin. Ladybug smiled and dashed away a tear before pocketing the delicacy again. She would eat it later.

 Several minutes later the murmur of voices broke the surrounding tranquility. Minutes after that and she trudged out of the barely visible forest path and into what appeared to be a town. **‘Welcome to Snowdin’** the multicolor sign read by the various strings of holiday lights. A festive air hung over the tiny place and Ladybug soaked it in gratefully. Several strange people milled about in the center of the place and it was their voices that she had followed. An inn stood immediately to her left, ahead of that was a small Christmas tree with presents on it, surrounded by gawking children. Further on was a restaurant, at least she guessed that’s what it was judging by the smells that emanated from it as she passed by. Another path, leading out of the village broke the town into two sections. The second half held a library and what appeared to be a normal house, the only one on this side of the lone street. Traveling back to the Inn, she entered the door and felt a rush of blessed warmth wash over her. A rabbit like child greets her on the other side of the counter. “How much for a room?” Ladybug asks.

 “80G” the child replies with a smile.

Digging through her pockets she comes up with only the pie piece. Aghast she looks to the child, back to her pockets, and then blushes. “I..ah…don’t seem to have enough. Never mind.” Turning to leave she’s stopped by the child’s eager call.

 “It’s okay” the furry little one smiled up at her and held a paw to it’s lips in a secretive manner “If you only want a quick sleep, you can use the empty room upstairs. Mama’s busy in the shop so no one will know.”

Ladybug glances up the stairs. It’s warm in here and she’s been walking all day. Her limbs are frozen and leaded and her feet are beginning to ache as they thawed. But what if she got the child in trouble? Was this right? The dark, sparkling little eyes assured her and she smiled back “Well, if it isn’t too much trouble…”

 “Mama won’t really care. Here’s the key, it’s upstairs on the left.” The child passed her the key and pointed to the stairs.

Smiling her gratitude, Ladybug accepted the key and headed up to find her room. There appeared to only be two rooms and the left door hung ajar. Inside was a small bed and possibly some other furniture but she didn’t notice anything except for the bed. The moment her head hit the pillow sleep over took her and nothing could have stopped it, not even the curious snores of her neighbors.

 

Rising from the bed some time later, Ladybug crept down the stairs. It was dark, the previous warmth gone. “Hello?” No one answered. The child had vanished. The door to the Inn hung open and she stepped outside. It was colder out there than she remembered. Hugging herself she wandered over to the Christmas tree and stopped. Red. Red liquid everywhere. Seeping in and staining the white snow. The occupants of the town lay scattered all around and the red was pouring out of them. Blood. Ladybug gagged and put a hand to her mouth. It was sticky. Slowly, shaking, she pulled her hand away and stared at the dried blood that caked them. Her mind was blank; her breath came in hard gasps. Why…was there…blood? “Distance…keep your distance” a voice murmured faintly from nearby “I don’t need you. I’ll…I’ll get rid of it. I’ll…KILL THEM ALL!” Gasping for air, Ladybug pulled back, casting about for the speaker. A ghostly child in a green sweater moved forward from where she had been standing and passed by the bodies. A dripping knife in their left hand. A child. The child she was supposed to save. A voice sounded faintly in woods on the other side of town… the side the child had gone to. “Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh! Hey, quit moving! This is exactly what I’m talking about! Human, I think you are in need of guidance!”

 “No” the word fell from her mouth, unheard as she stumbled forward. She had to…she had to stop the child. Realization and determination fueled her footsteps and she ran she had to save that person from the child!

 “But worry not! I, Papyrus…will gladly be your friend and tutor! I will turn your life right around!!! I see you are approaching.”

“No” Ladybug could hardly suck in air past the tightening of her chest, she had to stop them!

“Are you offering a hug of acceptance?” the voice continued eagerly “Wowie!! My lessons are already working! I, Papyrus, welcome you with open arms!”

The sound of a knife ripping through fabric and hitting something hard, echoed in the stillness. The world spun.

“No.” Ladybug wanted to scream but she could only flail, falling into a black pit of despair. She had failed. The grating laughter of Flowey rang out somewhere in the back of her head as darkness swallowed her up. When she opened her eyes she was standing by the Christmas tree again. The blood was gone and the people were milling about again. Ladybug cast about desperately for an explanation and her eyes rested on a child in a blue sweater. The same child. The little one didn’t seem to notice her as they doggedly moved forward…towards the forest…where the fight had happened. Ladybug turned to run and felt the world tilt again. Was there no way to stop it? Rain spattered her face as the ground gave out beneath her. “I have to find her!” her voice shouted over an indiscernible noise.

_“Ladybug!”_

 

With a gasp she opened her eyes. Ladybug found herself drenched in sweat and lying on top of the blankets on the Inn’s bed. She rolled out of bed and hit the floor hard, jarring herself fully awake. It was just a dream. A vivid and sickening dream, but nothing more than that. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she pulled herself up on shaking limbs. _‘That’s right_ ’ she told herself, heading for the door _‘nothing more than a dream.’_ Downstairs she found the rabbit-child looking over a sheaf of papers. “Thanks, for the room, here’s the key back” Ladybug passed the key over with a grateful smile.

The child grinned back “You’re welcome! Enjoy your stay in Snowdin!”

Ladybug nodded acknowledgment and let herself out. The cold air made her feel a million times better but a glance around the bustling little town center set her on edge again. It was too real, too much like living that dream again. She needed to get out of here. Setting her sights on the distant forest path that led away from the town, she hurried across and entered the safety of the trees. “For not liking humans, they sure are an easy going bunch there” she commented with a glance back at the townsfolk who had hardly looked her way. Well, she wasn’t complaining.

As she trudged through the ever growing piles of snow, all the warmth from the Inn left her and she became desperate to escape the cold again. Her eyes focused almost solely on her feet and her thoughts were simply putting forth the effort of lifting and placing each leg, alternately releasing and re-submerging them in the name of progressing forward. In this way, she failed to realize that her surroundings had changed. The forest had thinned and, rolling in from the nearby river, a thick fog had settled over the road, hiding anything more than three feet away. It wasn’t until she heard a mumbling voice that she looked up and realized that she could no longer see anything. A trickle of fear slid down her spine but she pushed it away, that path at her feet was still visible so, as long as she was careful, she would make it through. Five steps more and she saw a strange silhouette ahead. Cautiously moving forward she found herself standing at the beginning of a treacherous looking bridge that spanned an enormous gorge. The silhouette appeared to be a strange gatehouse made of cardboard boxes. The snow seemed to slowly disappear along the bridge and it looked like the mist might too. Stepping forward eagerly, she started for the bridge.

“Stop! Stop, I say!”

Skidding to a stop, Ladybug turned and looked to the gatehouse where the voice had come from. A new, dark, silhouette emerged from the interior of the little building and faced her. The figure was tall and, through the mist, appeared strangely human…


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO SORRY! This is soooo late! But, it is here. Thank you to everyone for being patient and for all the awesome encouragement! I've mentioned this before but just so you all know, constructive criticism is welcome! Help me to write better stories for you ;)  
> Again, beware the spoilers, oh the spoilers! Also, for those who may have noticed, I'm diverging from the Undertale plotline I've been loosely following. Since Labyrinth is also a factor in here (old but great movie, if you like this story you might like the movie!) I'm editing things to fit into the overreaching idea so things will be happening differently/out of order but yes, I am aware of it and know what I'm doing...mostly.

Chapter 6  
The figure standing across from her in the misty path, blocking her way to the bridge, appeared strangely human. Ladybug was stumped for a moment, staring at the figure, before gathering herself and realizing that the stranger was casting about for her. She moved forward until the mist between them cleared and they could clearly see each other. They both stopped and gaped. Here was another skeleton! Taller than the last and clothed in strange, brightly colored clothes he stared at her with a jaw so open she worried it might fall off.  
“Oh my…! Is that…could it be…! A human!!”  
Ladybug followed his gaze to a rock a few steps behind her that could be seen as a breeze momentarily cleared the mist. In the skeleton’s defense, it was a curious looking rock and maybe, if he really didn’t know what a human looked like, it was understandable. Maybe.  
“Actually…that’s a rock.” She pointed out.  
“Oh!” the skeleton exclaimed loudly.  
He looked so disappointed she couldn’t help adding “But I’m a human.”  
His gaze finally met hers and his jaw, shockingly, managed to drop even farther without falling off. “Wow! Really? I finally did it! Undyne will…I’m gunna…I’ll be so…POPULAR!! POPULAR!! POPULAR!!”  
Ladybug couldn’t resist smiling at his excitement despite not really understanding what he was getting at. Even so, she was still freezing. “Yes, I’m sure you will be” she tried to get his attention “but for now I need to be going so if you would just step aside and let me by…”  
The skeleton sucked in a breath, making a visible effort to calm down. “Ahem!” He cleared his throat and then whirled around and leveled a finger at her “Human, you shall not pass this area! I, the great Papyrus, will stop you! I will then capture you! You will be delivered to the Capitol! Then…Then!!! I’m not sure what’s next. In any case! None may pass here without my permission! Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!” Looking extremely proud of himself, he struck a pose.  
Ladybug was not amused. All her good mood had vanished at the mention of ‘capture’ and ‘Capitol’ and was not improved by the fact the air was getting colder. “Please” she struggled to be polite “I really need to get across. I’m freezing and…”  
“Freezing? How so?”  
She was going to comment on the cold and then thought again, wondering if skeletons could even feel cold. Goodness, she didn’t have time for this. “Listen here!” She stomped her foot and clenched her fists. “I’m human, I’m cold, and I really need to get by and find someone! Come on, just let me through!” Marching forward she fully intended to push past him.  
“Hold!” The skeleton looked a little panicked as he held out a hand and tried to halt her advances “Listen, I don’t want to have to hurt you!”  
Ignoring him, she tried to move on but was stopped as the skeleton blocked her way once more. “You are a human! I must capture you! Then I can fulfill my lifelong dream! Powerful! Popular! Prestigious!!! That’s Papyrus! The newest member…” he paused for dramatic effect, watching her closely for a reaction “OF THE ROYAL GUARD!” he struck a pose again and Ladybug gasped at the transformation that came over her.  
The next thing she knew, she was facing Papyrus across from her Choices.  
“I. Don’t. Have. Time for this!” She tried to punctuate each word but lost patience. Why couldn’t he understand! With a huff she hit Act and glanced at her choices. Check. Insult. Flirt. A blush crept up her face. No way was she flirting! But Check hadn’t gotten her anything with Toriel and, despite her annoyance, she couldn’t bring herself to insult him, he did, after all, let her hit first…though he had initiated the fight in the first place. A devious smile touched her lips, she didn’t know why, but she had the sneaking suspicion that flirting would rankle him more than anything else. She tapped the Choice And then batted her eyes at her opponent.  
“What!” He looked gratifyingly shocked “Fl…flirting!” He quickly recomposed himself “So you finally reveal your ULTIMATE FEELINGS! W…we’ll! I’m a skeleton with very high standards!”  
She looked him over and considered what she knew about him, if she could throw him off one more time, she might be able to best him enough to slip past and escape. He had mentioned possibly creating the mazes she had already passed through. Most of them were dry, tan, and smelled of spaghetti sauce. In fact, though it was hard to smell anything through her frozen nose, there was a distinct, saucy smell to him as well. “I can make spaghetti” she tried.  
“Oh no!” He truly looked flustered “You’re meeting all my standards!”  
She couldn’t resist laughing.  
“I guess this means I have to go on a date with you…!” Papyrus mused. “Let’s date l…later! After I capture you!”  
A row of bones passed harmlessly between her feet, their owner obviously distracted by thoughts of their date.  
She touched Act, then Flirt, again and pushed forward, swiping a finger at the bell beneath his neck…but there was no bell. She pulled back and looked curiously at her hand. Why had she thought there would be a bell there?  
Stuttering and trying to recover himself, Papyrus sent another harmless row of bones after her.  
Ladybug clenched her hand and shook away the cobwebbed memories that wouldn’t resurface. She didn’t have time for this. She reached for her Choices and reached for Mercy, Spare.  
“So, you won’t fight!” Papyrus appeared to have forgotten his discomfort as he pondered her actions. “Then, let’s see if you can handle my fabled BLUE ATTACK!”  
A sudden stream of ghostly blue bones swarmed her and, before she could move, passed right through her. She watched Papyrus’s smug grin disbelievingly. Maybe this didn’t work against humans? After all, he probably hadn’t had a chance to test it out but…couldn’t he see that the attack wasn’t hurting her? Maybe he didn’t want to hurt her? Without warning, her whole body dropped to the ground and a single white bone returned and smacked into her side, knocking the breath from her.  
“You’re blue now.” Papyrus announced as he watched her struggle to rise.  
She looked to her hand and found that she was indeed blue, or at least, the skin tight suit she wore was blue with black dots.  
“Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!!!  
She just barely managed to reach for her Choices. Again, Mercy Spare. Would he be as kind?  
The little white bones came back and she panicked for a moment, dreading the pain. Instinct kicked in and she managed to force her body up and threw herself over the oncoming projectiles, avoiding the first two but falling flat on that last one. It cut into her side and, though her suit’s fabric didn’t tear, she could feel her skin break. Biting her lip she rolled to the side and braced herself for another attack. This wasn’t about her wants anymore, it was simply a matter of what she had to do and she knew, no matter how mad she was with this idiot, she couldn’t kill him. Mercy. Spare.  
“Try bracing yourself!” Papyrus called out encouragingly.  
Was he really giving her advice while trying to kill her? She saw another row of bones coming and, pushed herself to her hands and knees. The rough bark of a nearby tree offered support and she leaned against it, losing a bit of the strain of the extra gravity. The small weapons passed beneath her but the larger ones hit her shoulders, she could feel it beginning to bruise. She reached for her Choices again but the pain in her shoulder was too much and without the extra support, her body succumbed to its weight and she fell face first into the snow. Distantly she heard Papyrus ranting.  
“You’re too weak! I was easily able to capture you! I will now send you to the capture zone! Or, as Sans calls it…our garage!!! You’re in the doghouse now! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!”  
As weariness and cold took over she stopped caring what happened to her and drifted off to a dangerous state of sleep.

Ladybug’s eyes fluttered open then shut. It was warm…and soft. Where was she? She sat up and looked around. The last thing she remembered was fighting Papyrus but here she found herself waking on what appeared to be a dog bed. A pet’s bowl of dry food sat over to her left, and a note just beyond that. Forcing her sore body to move she crossed the small room and picked up the note.  
_‘Sorry, I have to lock you in the guest room until Undyne arrives_ ’ It read _‘Feel free to make yourself at home!!! Refreshments and accommodations have been provided. Nyehfully yours -Papyrus’_  
A wry smile pulled at her mouth as she surveyed the ‘accommodations’ and the bars that were wide enough for a large man to get through. She stood and took a moment to appreciate proper gravity before exiting. Outside, she was surprised to find herself back in Snowdin, walking out of the garage next the house on the wrong side of the street. Had Papyrus brought her here after she collapsed? Shaking away any thought of gratitude she headed back for the forest path. Of course he brought her there; he wanted to capture her after all.

He was waiting for her at the bridge.  
Ladybug couldn’t stop herself from stamping her foot again. Why? Why was he making this so hard?  
“It sure is a relief to know that you’re right here!” he panted, looking actually relieved.  
Why was he relieved? He must have panicked when his prize escaped. She frowned at him.  
“Wait!” Papyrus cut her off as he suddenly realized something “You’re not supposed to escape! Get back there!”  
“No! Now let me through!” she shouted.

Three minutes later she woke up in the garage again. With a growl she stood and retrieved the new note.  
_‘PLEASE ASK BEFORE YOU ESCAPE!!!’_ It read  
' _When you went missing I got worried sick!_  
_-Slightly Bonetrousled, Papyrus’_  
Bonetrousled? And why was he worried? She looked around and then sighed, maybe if things were different…if she wasn’t human, Papyrus might be someone fun to hang out with. She surveyed the bowl with chopped up hot dog in it and laughed. She felt tired and longed to go back to Toriel, or even just curl up on the pet bed there. But she remembered the dream she had at the Inn, the child she was supposed to find, the person she was supposed to save… A sudden wave of nausea washed over her. That laugh. The laugh of the person in her dream. Papyrus’s laugh! The child had killed Papyrus! She remembered his words, how he had tried to help the child and they… Tears formed in her eyes. He wasn’t a bad person. He was only doing his job. He didn’t deserve that! Pushing herself up she forced her sore body back out into the cold. Back to the Forest. Back to Papyrus.

“You’re back again?!?!” He exclaimed in shock.  
She nodded, knowing better than to try and prove her case.  
He frowned and then slowly nodded as if understanding something for the first time. “I finally realize the true reason why. You…”  
She waited for him to finish so they could hurry up with the fight. She wanted to get this over with.  
“JUST MISS SEEING MY FACE SO MUCH…” He frowned deeper “I’m not sure I can fight someone who feels this way. But mostly…I’m getting really tired of capturing you! Even so…” He looked at the bridge over his shoulder “I’m sworn to let none pass this way…Undyne would kill me!”  
Ladybug tilted her head and wondered if she had found her loophole. “What, exactly, have you sworn?” she asked.  
“I have sworn with my lifeblood that no one shall pass this way…” he paused for dramatic effect before finishing “without my permission!”  
It was too simple to be true. “May I have your permission?”  
Shock, confusion, a struggle, all crossed the skeleton’s face somehow as he looked from her to the bridge and back several time before puffing out his chest and answering weakly “Yes?”  
Relief, gratitude, amusement at how long it took them both, flooded through her and she laughed.  
Papyrus looked to the bridge and sighed sorrowfully “Nyoo hoo hoo, I can’t even stop someone as weak as you…Undyne’s going to be disappointed in me. I’ll never join the Royal Guard, and… MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!”  
Still chuckling a little to herself, Ladybug strode up close and poked him in the shoulder “Let’s be friends then.”  
“REALLY!?” He shouted “YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS, WITH ME!!!!!”  
She nodded and smiled warmly at him, he was just like a kid!  
“Well then” he tried to regain his composure “I guess I can make an allowance for you! Wowie! We haven’t even had our first date…and I’ve already managed to hit the friend zone!!!”  
Ladybug laughed again, unable to stop herself.  
“Who knew that all I needed to make pals…was to build a spaghetti maze and then fight them??” He turned to her solemnly and she struggled to swallow her mirth. “You’ve taught me a lot, Human. I hereby grant you permission to pass through!”  
She tilted her head gratefully “Thank you, Great Papyrus!”  
A red color tinted his face and she decided against wondering where it came from. Maybe these skeletons did have some sort of ‘lifeblood’…but she doubted it.  
“And I’ll give you directions to the surface!” he beamed happily.  
Ladybug stopped laughing and turned to Papyrus in shock. The surface. “Is that…is that where the humans are?” she asked desperately.  
“Of course! Don’t you remember where you come from!?!” Papyrus exclaimed.  
Slowly, she shook her head “I…can’t remember anything. I think I was fighting someone and…I guess I fell down here and…I’m trying to find a child and go home.”  
“That’s…awful! Did the villain follow you?” He demanded.  
Surprise at his belief, the hypocrisy of his statement, all died at the thought of his question. She could feel the blood drain from her face. “I…I don’t know. She thought of the golden Flower at the beginning of her memories. Wasn’t there something golden before that too? Her throat constricted. “Maybe…maybe he did…but I might not know if I saw him again…”  
“That’s dangerous!” Papyrus clapped his hands down on her shoulders, startling her enough so that she didn’t notice the pain. “Don’t worry, if I see a kid, I’ll tell you but if I see someone else I won’t tell them…unless they are the kid…or the kid’s them…or you say…” he looked thoroughly confused now but the moment had passed and she smiled.  
“Thanks Papyrus.”  
Relieved that she was smiling again, he released her and gave her a thumbs up. “Of course! We’re friends after all! I, the great Papyrus, will always protect my friends, even should it cost me my life!”  
“Don’t die!” Her shout surprised even her so she quickly softened her tone “Don’t die, Papyrus.”  
His grin widened “Of course not, that was just a figure of speech! I can’t die! Because…I’m awesome! So you don’t need to worry about me!”  
She smiled and nodded.  
“Anyways, continue forward until you reach the end of the Cavern.” He continued with his directions “Then…when you reach the Capitol, cross the Barrier. That’s the Magical Seal trapping us all in Underland. Anything can enter through it, but nothing can exit…except someone with a powerful soul. Like you! That’s why the King wants to acquire a human.”  
Ladybug hugged herself tightly, less against the cold this time and more so against the thought of the King who wanted her captured.  
“He wants to open the Barrier with Soul Power. Then us monsters can return to the surface!”  
She looked at him in surprise and he nodded before slapping his fist into his open hand in remembrance. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! To reach the exit, you will have to pass…through the King’s Castle. The King of all Monsters. He is…”  
Ladybug swallowed hard and waited for the description of her foe.  
“Well…A BIG, FUZZY, PUSHOVER!”  
“What?” she hadn’t been expecting that.  
Papyrus nodded “Everybody loves that guy. I’m certain if you just say ‘Excuse me, Mr. Dreemurr…can I please go home?’ he’ll guide you right to the Barrier himself!” After another moment of nodding to himself he whirled around to face the village. “Anyway!!! That’s enough talking!!! I’ll be at home being a cool friend!!! Feel free to come by and have that date! Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh heh!”  
And with that he swept past her on his way back to Snowdin.  
Ladybug looked to the bridge. She really should press on, she needed to find the child and she needed to see if her memories lay somewhere on the Surface with the humans, but…she was tired and sore and ached for someone to talk to. She glanced back and could see the welcoming glimmer of Snowdin’s lights through the trees. If it was just a few minutes… She turned back and at the same time she tried to understand what really drew her back, after all with these excuses she might as well have just stayed with Toriel…so why? Papyrus. The reason was plain and simple; something about him seemed familiar and drew her to him. Maybe if she could just figure out what it was she would feel better about leaving.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I skipped a week and, I'm sorry but I'll be honest, I'm probably going to slow down a bit as I'm catching up on all my pre-written chapters. Thanks for your patience and encouragement guys! I haven't posted a chapter yet that hasn't gotten kudos and that just means everything to me! You're all the best!  
> As always, beware spoilers. And helpful criticism is welcome. Enjoy!

Chapter 7  
Even the scent of burnt sauce was beginning to smell fantastic. And the twisting noodle pathways were taunting his empty stomach. Adrien was about ready to collapse. He hadn’t eaten anything since Toriel’s pie and he was starving! And why was this place a maze anyways? He had always, and would undoubtedly forevermore, hate mazes. He took a left turn and nearly walked into a wall. With a growl he turned around and headed the other way.

“So you came back to have a date with me!” Papyrus announced in shock “You must be really serious about this…” he mused. “I’ll have to take you someplace really special…”  
“Oh no, you don’t have to” Ladybug protested. She stood shivering in the cold outside his house wishing he would invite her in. “Honestly, I just don’t want to be alone right now…”  
“A place I like to spend a lot of time!!!” He exclaimed eagerly. Ignoring her protest, he set off across town and she trotted to keep up with him. Halfway there, he turned around sharply and she nearly lost her balance spinning after him. They marched back and finally ended up at…  
“MY HOUSE!!!” Papyrus exclaimed triumphantly.  
Any annoyance she might have felt at him dissipated when he strode forward and opened the door for her. Inside she took in the simple living room with its squiggly colorful carpet and ancient looking green sofa. But it was surprisingly clean…aside from a random sock and sticky notes in the corner by the TV…that was strange.  
“Welcome to Scenic my house! Please enjoy your stay!” He announced graciously.  
Ladybug glanced around the room and then turned to him with a smile “Why don’t you show me your room?”  
“Really?!” Without waiting for confirmation he sprinted up the stairs and then threw open the first door that was plastered with warnings and labels.  
Ladybug stepped in and found herself standing in a normal bedroom…for a twelve year old boy. It made her question Papyrus’s age. He stood a whole head taller than her and yet…how do you judge a skeleton’s age? And anyways, how old was she? That was an interesting question. While Papyrus introduced her to every aspect of his room, she looked herself over and decided she couldn’t be older than sixteen and, unless she was short for her age, she was probably younger than that.  
“So…um…” Papyrus’s nervous tone caught her attention again.  
“Hm?”  
“If you’ve seen everything…Do you want to start the date?”  
She almost laughed at how nervous he looked but managed to swallow it and nod seriously. “Yes, yes I would.”  
“Okay!!! Dating start!!!” he shouted excitedly. He struck a pose “Here we are!! On our date!! I’ve actually never done this before. But don’t worry! You can’t spell ‘prepared’ without several letters from my name!!!” he flourished a small object and she leaned in to obligingly admire it. “I snagged an official dating rule book from the library!!! We’re ready to have a great time!”  
Papyrus’s voice faded out. Something about this whole thing made her feel strange.  
_“Why don’t you stick around for the performance? You even have a date for the occasion right here!”_  
The voice was smooth, overly familiar, and comforting. Who was it? Why did she feel the need to both shy away from the speaker…and run towards him? She felt her chest tighten and reached up with a shaky hand to feel for her heart.  
“Hey” a head poked through the doorway “What do skeletons say before dinner? Oh, hi there Ladybug.”  
“Sans!” Ladybug exclaimed in surprise.  
“Sans!!!” Papyrus shouted in frantic fury “No p…”  
“They say” Sans answered his own question “Bone-appetit!” If he’d had drums, he would have hit them in pride.  
“Sans!” Papyrus started again but stopped.  
Both brothers stared at their guest.  
Ladybug clutched the shirt over her heart. What was this pain? These vague memories? This feeling of utter…loss? Why did she want to listen to stupid puns all of a sudden? Why did everything about her scream for this memory? Streams of tears ran down her cheeks unchecked and wet the floor around her.  
“Sans!” Papyrus looked like he was ready to kill his brother “I told you your puns were awful! Look at what you’ve done! She’s crying! And it’s all your fault!”  
Sans scratched his head and looked to the girl worriedly “You sure have an awful sense of humor. Are you alright?”  
Nodding furiously she fought the overwhelming emotions, swallowed her tears and forced a smile. “I’m sorry. It’s not that. It’s just…I think…I can almost remember someone who was very important to me. But…I don’t know what happened to them.” Another sob escaped her and the memory flashed again.  
_She was falling. Her red gloved hand strained to reach someone…to reach him. Golden hair, green eyes, black suit. A flash of deadly purple._  
_“Chat!”_  
“What? What was that?” Papyrus demanded.  
“My cat!” The sobs overtook her and she fell to the floor in a wailing heap.  
The brothers hovered over her, worried and mildly frightened at the same time.  
Ladybug allowed herself a good cry and then scrubbed her eyes and stood again. “I’m…really sorry.” She hiccupped.  
“No need to apologize Human! Let us partake to the couch and I, the great Papyrus, will solve all your problems!” Papyrus announced, reverting back to his grandiose character to save the awkward situation.  
She smiled slightly and followed him downstairs, Sans trailing after them.  
As Papyrus fetched her a glass of water from the kitchen, Sans eyed her warily. “So, what really got you all worked up?” he asked.  
Ladybug fought another hiccup and failed. “I…can’t really remember anything from before I came here” she murmured “I’m getting it all back in bits and pieces though…like the child I’m searching for and…the person following me.” She gratefully accepted the glass Papyrus offered her, gulping down the cold liquid eagerly. When she had satisfied her thirst she held the drink and stared into it for a long time before speaking again. “I think…the person who’s following me wants me dead and…” she paused, steadied herself, took a deep breath and then forced herself to finish “…I think he killed my cat.”  
“Your…cat?” Sans asked in disbelief.  
“Horrifying! Mortifying! Terrifying!” Papyrus exclaimed dramatically while striking a different pose for each word. “But worry not, Human! For I, the great Papyrus, will keep you safe as if my life depended on it!”  
“Thanks Papyrus” she smiled, a genuine smile that felt good on her face.  
“So, this guy who’s looking for you, any idea what he looks like?” Sans asked with his normal, non-committal grin.  
Ladybug considered this a moment. “He’s…got a mask on, so I don’t really know what his face looks like but…he’s dressed in dark colors, black mostly I think. It’s a stylish suit…Oh and his coat tails!”  
“Black mask, tails, something about style less cool than mine, got it! I’ll keep him away from you, Human!” Papyrus gave her an assuring thumbs up.  
She laughed and nodded “Thank you. And you can call me Ladybug, humans use names too, actually.”  
“I had no idea!” Papyrus’s eyes bulged and his jaw dropped in surprise.  
“So, what are you going to do now?” Sans asked.  
Ladybug sucked in a deep breath and stood up with determination. “I’m going to keep moving. I have to find that child!”  
“Good luck then.” Sans waved.  
She turned to Papyrus. “I’m sorry for ruining our date. It was really fun still. Maybe we can try again at another point?”  
“Human, er…Ladybug” Papyrus cleared his throat and stumbled over his words. “I…I’m sorry.”  
She tilted her head curiously at him “Why?”  
“I don’t like you the way you like me.” His shoulders drooped in defeat. “Romantically, I mean. I mean, I tried very hard to! I thought that because you flirted with me…” his voice dropped to a mumble “that I was supposed to go on a date with you. Then” he perked back up “on the date, the feelings would BLOSSOM FORTH!!! I would be able to match your passion for me! But, alas…I, the great Papyrus…have failed” He wilted again. “I feel just the same as before. And instead, by dating you…I have only drawn you deeper…INTO YOUR INTENSE LOVE FOR ME!” He turned rueful. “A dark prison of passion with no escape. How could I have done this to my dear friend…?” He stopped.  
Ladybug opened her mouth to assure him she wasn’t nearly as hurt as he thought; but she never got the chance.  
“No, wait! That’s wrong!” Papyrus exclaimed “I can’t fail at anything! Ladybug!!! I’ll help you through these trying times!!! I’ll keep being your cool friend…and act like this never happened. After all, you are very great. It would be tragic to lose your friendship. So please…don’t cry because I won’t kiss you. Because, I don’t even have lips. And hey, someday, you’ll find someone as great as me!”  
“I doubt I’ll ever find anyone as cool as you” Ladybug told him as she choked on her laughter.  
“Well no.” he agreed “That’s true. But I’ll help you settle for second best!!! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!!!” He started to step back and then sprung forward again “Oh! And if you ever need to reach me, here’s my phone number. You can call me anytime!”  
She accepted the piece of paper with a smile and waved to them as she headed out the door.  
Outside the bitter cold blew into her again but she looked to the scrap of paper in her hands with a soft smile. She didn’t have a phone…but the paper itself reminded her that there were kind people watching out for her and that filled her with determination. Facing forward, she set out to complete her journey.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again spoiler warning! And there, you've been warned. Here it is, actually on a Thursday! Surprise! Like I said last time, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep up with my weekly posting but rest assured, I WILL finish this story! Also, thanks to everyone who comments, bookmarks, or clicks that wonderful little kudos button! You all are the reason this story has made it this far! Thank you!

Chapter 8  
It was cold.  
Adrien hugged himself and tried to stop his teeth from chattering so much as he trudged through the snow drifts. The town was just ahead of him and the warm lights of the inn beckoned to him. He stumbled forward and fell, disappearing under a cloud of white.  
Down here it was deathly cold and he could feel his body rapidly freezing. Hours of wandering through the forest in his summer clothes had already drained him of most of his strength and body heat and now he struggled to pull himself up from under the settling snow's weight. It would be so much easier to give up. He was tired, so tired. He could probably just fall asleep here. A numb, fuzzy sort of warmth crept up his legs and his vision blurred. It was…raining…  
_“Chat Noir!” a red gloved hand reached into his dark rimmed sight._  
_He reached out to her, desperately trying to take that hand…to save her. But she fell away and darkness swallowed everything._

Adrien woke breathless and found himself neatly tucked into a warm bed in a pleasant little room. He closed his eyes again and blew out a breath, releasing the lingering tension from the dream as he did so. But it refused to dissipate completely. A lingering scent haunted the air, carrying with it memories just out of reach.  
She was here.  
Or at least, had been here.  
The person he was looking for…the girl Toriel had spoken of.  
“My Lady” it was all he could remember of her. That and the red gloves.  
He sat up and threw back the blankets. He needed to be moving, he needed to find her. He needed….to protect her. He needed this as much as his lungs needed to keep breathing.  
Racing down the stairs he bypassed the strange looking child behind the counter, never even noticing it, as he slid out the door and once again found himself face first in a snow drift. Pulling himself out he looked out at the town, alight with a Christmas glow and he could _feel_ her. Like a ghost passing through, he moved forward, following after the instinct that drew him to the girl he could hardly remember. He came to at the edge of a bridge, finally losing the dreamlike sensation. He cast about, desperately trying to catch on to that slender thread again, but was interrupted.  
“Halt! Who goes there?” a voice called out.  
Adrien turned in surprise, noticing for the first time the gatehouse to his left where a figure stood gawking at him. He gawked back.  
It was a skeleton! A real, living, skeleton with a tall lanky structure and slack jaw.  
“Y…y…you’re a…a…a…” Adrien stuttered and stumbled, gasping on the words.  
“ANOTHER HUMAN?!” The Skeleton bellowed in shock.  
These words further confused the boy and yet, they were something to hold onto. A moment of swirling through his head and a light came on. “Another…Have you seen her?” If that had been a human he might have rushed forward and shook him, as it was, Adrien kept his distance and looked desperately to the Skeleton.  
“Her…hum…well…there was…and then…” the Skeleton was flustered and fumbling, but Adrien knew all he needed now.  
“You have…then…” he faced forward “then she went this way.”  
“No she didn’t!” The Skeleton blurted loudly.  
“What do you…” Adrien turned partially and then stopped in horror. It had just occurred to him that this was in fact a monster. And monsters were known to hurt people. And he had lost the pull of his Lady right there. Bile rose up in his throat and he felt sick. “Did you…hurt her?”  
“What…ah…no! I just…” The Skeleton suddenly pulled himself together and leveled a finger at the boy “I have no obligation to tell you, Human! Now behave yourself so I can capture you! Besides, no one crosses this bridge without MY, the Great Papyrus’s, PERMISSION!”  
“Capture…” Adrien felt his blood boil and he clenched his fists and glared at the Skeleton. “What did you do to her?!”  
Papyrus watched the boy transform and panic filled him. Black suit, tail, and a dangerous aura surrounding him… “You’re the Villain!” he exclaimed, leveling a finger and attacking immediately.  
Adrien didn’t know what hit him.

* * *

 

“Ack!” The scream escaped Ladybug as she fell, again, into the disgusting water. She pulled herself back up and glared at the dump around her, wondering if she would ever feel dry again. After being attacked by some crazy suit of armor she had fallen off a bridge and ended up here. She tried to think of something else but all that came to mind was the conversation she’d just had with Sans.  
She had met him on her way out of Snowdin and he had ended up taking her back and buying her some food at Grillby’s, the local restaurant. There they had a strange conversation about Papyrus and a flower that talked to him. The twisted face of Flowey hovered in her head and she gritted her teeth. That awful flower had better leave that kind skeleton alone! She tripped again and realized this distraction wasn’t helping and only heightened her anger at the whole situation. She pulled herself up and then a real scream escaped her at what was waiting for her in the mouth of the tunnel. A crazy looking, beat up old dummy was hovering over the water and glaring at her with immense fury.  
“Human!” the Dummy shouted hoarsely “Why are you here?! How did…that idiot Papyrus!” He gathered himself up and glared at her “You can’t pass!”  
“Why not?” she demanded, feeling her anger beginning to seep past breaking point.  
“Because!” The Dummy seemed to smile as she glowered at him. “Does that make you mad? Of course it does! You’re stuck! Just like I’m stuck! A ghost, stuck in a dummy’s body with no way out! And now you can suffer just as much as I…”  
Ladybug landed him a wet, roundhouse, kick. “Look” she huffed “I’m sorry for you and all but I’m sick of all this water and I’m busy looking for a lost child. You’ll have to wait for someone else to bother! Oh! And don’t insult Papyrus! He is a wonderful person…skeleton…monster…thing” Come to think of it she had never really discovered exactly what the brothers were. Skeleton’s right? But how did they…live? She shook the questions away, now was not the time.  
Two steps was all she managed to take before the Dummy was up again, screaming furiously and…were those missiles materializing out of thin air beside him?  
She dove out of the way as the rockets flew by and then sprinted forward as they rounded and came after her again. What on earth was happening?  
The missiles closed the gap between them and, in a last ditch effort of survival, she ducked. The momentum carried the weapons forward, into the Dummy, and they exploded.  
Ladybug looked up hopefully but found the Ghost’s body barely harmed. An irritated growl escaped her.

* * *

 

Adrien woke up in what looked like a child’s play area at first glance and a pet’s room at second glance. He rolled out of the dog bed and onto his feet before stumbling to the door. Outside he found the Skeleton in a frantically whispered discussion with a second, smaller skeleton who was watching him with eyeless sockets.  
“Ah! He’s here!” the first one shouted in panic.  
“Hello” the second one greeted the boy.  
“You…where...” Adrien tried to shake off the fuzzy feeling in his head and focus. _My Lady._ With a gasp he snapped back into full consciousness. “My Lady! Have you seen her? Do you know where she is?” His eyes locked on the first Skeleton and he scowled “Did you hurt her?”  
“What type of lady are you talking about?” the second Skeleton asked in confusion.  
Adrien was stumped. He couldn’t remember her. Nothing except… “Red, she was wearing red gloves! A girl with red gloves!”

“That’s her fighting costume!” Papyrus hissed in Sans’s ear. “What do we do? He really is the Villain isn’t he?”

“It’s cold here, in case you couldn’t tell” the smaller skeleton seemed to be ignoring the taller one’s whispered comments. “Lots of people wear red gloves and stuff. What type of monster are you looking for?”  
“She’s not a monster!” Adrien stated defensively.  
“Is she a human then? Wow, two humans down here at once! You don’t see that every day. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen her.” The Second Skeleton smiled as though sorry he couldn’t be more helpful.

 "But...he said...!" Adrien struggled to remember the exact words but they eluded him.

"He was probably referring to our snowhuman, right Papyrus?" the smaller Skeleton asked as he gestured to the clump of snow who's stick arms bore large red mittens.

"O...o...of COURSE THAT'S WHAT i MEANT!" Papyrus bellowed.  
“How can I trust you?” Adrien growled, fingering the aching lump on his head.  
“Well, in my brother’s defense there, you attacked first." the second Skeleton gestured to the lump. "And anyways, it’s not like we could miss seeing another real human around here. They’re kinda rare, ya’ know? She probably never even came this way.” The Skeleton grinned.  
Adrien gave them a disbelieving look but decided to let it go. They wouldn’t have any reason to kidnap her. Would they? He couldn’t think of one. He should just keep going. He turned, heading for the forest but was stopped by Papyrus.  
“Wait! You can’t go there! You’re my prisoner!”  
“Well if you don’t know where she is, I have to find her still!” Adrien huffed, he wanted to get moving, it was cold out there.  
“But no one may pass the bridge without my permission!”  
“Then, can I have your permission?”  
“No!”  
With another growl, Adrien leapt over the Skeleton and raced past him, easily making it over the bridge before the stunned monster knew what had happened.

“OH MY GOODNESS! HE GOT THROUGH ALL MY DEFENSES!” Papyrus shouted in shock when he finally realized what had just happened.  
“He sure did!” Sans laughed.  
“Stop laughing! This is serious!” Papyrus shrieked.  
“I Ca’t”(Can’t)  
They stared at each other a moment, Sans grinning, Papyrus swelling to the point of bursting, tension building in the air.  
“We don’t have time for this!” Papyrus broke the silence at last “We have to warn Ladybug! Wait! I’ll call her!” He pulled out his phone and then proceeded to stare at it blankly. “She…didn’t give me her number” he murmured, crestfallen. “What do we do now?”

* * *

 

Ladybug crashed into the water again. Breathless, bruised, aching, and burned, she wanted nothing more than to escape this ridiculous Dummy but she couldn’t shake him or his magical missiles and her Choices did her little good. She surfaced, coughing and gasping, and stared at her opponent blearily. He was definitely showing some wear-and-tear now but…it wasn’t enough.  
Softly at first and without warning, white drops began to fall from the ceiling of the cavern. They hissed and smoke rose when they hit the water. The Mad Dummy shrieked and growled and, miraculously, fled.  
The girl’s eyes traveled up and rested on her rescuer. A weeping ghost hovered where the Dummy had just been. He saw her and sniffled.  
“…sorry. I interrupted you, didn’t I?” he sighed softly “As soon as I came over, your friend immediately left… oh no… you guys looked like you were having fun…oh no…I just wanted to say hi… oh no…………………” he started to fade away.  
Recovering from her surprise she called out to him “Wait! Don’t go!”  
The Ghost paused.  
“We weren’t friends and I wasn’t having any fun and you saved me, so thank you” She stood up and smiled at him “And hi, my name’s Ladybug.”  
The Ghost came back into focus and he sniffled a little again. “Then I wasn’t interrupting? Oh good…sorry for blabbing so much then…I’m Napstablook.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Napstablook.”  
“Really?”  
She smiled “Yes, really.”  
The ghost didn’t seem to know what to do with this information so they were quiet for a long time.  
“Well” he sighed at last “I’m going to head home now….Oh…um…feel free to ‘come with’ if you want…but no pressure…I understand if you’re busy…it’s fine…no worries…just thought I’d…”  
“I’d love to ‘come with’ if it’s alright with you” Ladybug cut the sad little ghost off.  
Napstablook looked both overjoyed and heartbroken at once but nodded and led the way through the tunnel.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so tired and in such a rush to get this up yesterday I forgot to write my note! So, here it is. Once again, beware of spoilers. And a HUGE ginormous thank you to all you awesome people who have already read the newest chapter! Thank you so much for your support! And to all the people who have been reading from the beginning, thank you for sticking with me.

Chapter 9  
While still damp and a little cold, Napstablook's house was a wonderful improvement to the watery dump she had just been wading through.  
Ladybug listened to the spook-tunes remix that was playing in the background and sank into an eerie sort of comfort.  
"It's not much but make yourself at home..." the ghost offered nervously. His flitting gaze landed on the fridge in the corner of the bare little room and he jumped a little. "Oh...are you hungry...? I can get you something to eat..." He floated to the contraption and pulled out a pale, ghostly sandwich.  
Out of courtesy, Ladybug tried to eat it but her hand passed right through the food.  
There was a sorrowful moment of silence.  
"Oh" Napstablook murmured at last "...sorry...."  
They were silent again for a bit before Ladybug spoke. "So, what do you do around here, Napstablook?"  
"Sometimes...after a good meal...I like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage...." he answered hesitantly.  
"You're not..." she started to protest but he just continued mumbling.  
"It's a family tradition....do you want...to join me?"  
Biting her tongue, Ladybug hesitated only a moment. She really needed to keep moving but...her heart wouldn't let her leave this sad little ghost alone. "Alright" she nodded and smiled and could have sworn a slight blush crept into the white of his sheet.  
"Ok" he murmured "...follow my lead..."  
They both lay down on the floor. Ladybug fought off drowsiness but even so her eyes slid closed. And then, something amazing happened. The floor faded away, the almost unnoticeable hum of the computer and fridge died out. She was floating in space and, even through her closed eyelids; she could see a million stars soaring around her. The distant music was lost and replaced by an ethereal sound and all the weariness melted from her body. She was reminded of the pieces of trash in the dump that had escaped their piles and floated down the slow waters. Maybe the ghosts just had a bad way of trying to describe something so wonderfully indescribable.  
"It's peaceful here" a voice echoed softly to her right.  
Ladybug opened her eyes and glanced over sleepily.  
The child floated next to her, blue sweater billowing out as they rested peacefully in the void. Tears dripped from beneath the closed eyes and drifted away to melt on a burning star. "I want to stay here forever" the small girl whispered, curling her bruised body into a tight ball and shutting out the world again.  
The vision faded and Ladybug found tears dripping from her own eyes. The child had been here, alone and hurting. She was probably still out there somewhere. Was she crying? Ladybug felt guilt building inside her. What was she doing here? She needed to save this child! She sat up and instantly found herself once more in Napstablook's room.  
"Oh...are you going now...that's fine...thanks...for stopping by..." Napstablook rose with her, suddenly looking especially downcast.  
"Napstablook" she wasn't really sure what she wanted to say but, looking at him now, the words tumbled out "Aren't you lonely here?"  
"Ah...um...yes...a lot...not many people come here...it's hard being friends with a ghost...you know...?" he mumbled.  
"No" her heart squeezed painfully "I don't know. I do know that I want to be your friend. Even more than that..." she leaned forward as inspiration hit her "Come with me!"  
Napstablook finally looked at her face, startled. "Wha...what?"  
"Come with me! We're both pretty lonely and...well...if you have nothing else to do of course, why don't we keep each other company for a bit?"  
"You...you don't mind hanging out with me...?" the little ghost asked with a hopeful note in his voice.  
"Of course not! In fact, I like being with you!"  
He looked so happy that she was hardly surprised when a few more acid tears slid down his sheet to add a few more holes in the old floor.  
"Will you come?" she asked, standing as she spoke.  
"I...guess...if it's really no trouble...and you don't mind..."  
She beamed at him, the brightest smile she could muster, and a few happy tears laced her own eyes "Thank you!"

"Wet! Wet! Wet! Achoo!" Adrien growled and sniffled, feeling pretty sure he had caught a cold during his travels through the damp subterranean caves. They had been fascinatingly beautiful for a little while...until he realized that this too was a maze and he was horribly lost. And to top it all off he thought he was being followed. If it was one of those skeletons he was going to drown them! Could you drown a skeleton? He sneezed again, took a right turn, immediately regretted it, and backtracked.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry I forgot to post last week! But, luckily for all of you, I'm down with a cold and have nothing better to do! So here is your chapter!  
> Thanks again to all you who steadily follow, comment, and hit that encouraging little kudos button! Even you ghosts out there who read but never interact, thank you for reading my story!  
> Again, spoiler warning! And now you may continue...

Chapter 10  
An abandoned lab. An impenetrable darkness. The hollow clank of a single pair of feet timidly moving across metal floors. The feel of her sweat sliding down her back like a finger lightly tracing her spine. Again, Ladybug spun around and found herself alone with her ghost.  
Napstablook had given up trying to ask her what was bothering her and seemed as distracted as she felt.  
They both scanned the hot room vainly.  
"Can ghosts see in the dark?" she asked hopefully.  
"No...sorry...I should have brought a light...ah, but that wouldn't do you any good...sorry..." Napstablook mumbled in trembling tones.  
Ladybug forced a smile. "That's alright." She jumped as something whooshed past her and then sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady herself before speaking. "I think" her voice came out too high pitched "I think we should go now. Nothing's here."  
Wordlessly, Napstablook agreed and they both set off for the entrance.  
The little ghost had just exited when the door slammed shut, sealing away all attempts at light.  
Crash  
It all happened at once. The noise, the lights, the blaring music.  
Ladybug screamed and fell, clutching her head protectively. Why had they come here? They could have walked right past this place and gone further into the Hotlands...that was right...the child had been here. The one that wore a green sweater. The one with the knife. She had to find the child. She'd had to enter. Would she manage to leave?  
"OHHHH YES! WELCOME BEAUTIES..." An unnerving voice sang into a microphone.  
Slowly, Ladybug lifted her head to look at the newcomer.  
It was a robot that looked like an old TV but with three arm like structures; one extending below the body and ending in a wheel, and two other's waving about its face with the microphone.  
"...TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!!!" The voice was like that of a gameshow host; loud, exited, and smooth...and it came from the blank TV face.  
Light's flashed and spun, confetti fell, and a multi-colored 'Game Show' sign slid down over the robot's head.  
Ladybug opened and closed her mouth several times without making a sound. Of all the things she'd seen, this just might be the strangest.  
"OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL ITS GUNNA BE A GREAT SHOW!" The Robot exclaimed eagerly. "EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTENT!" The metallic arm not holding the microphone, gestured grandly to the dazed girl on the floor before returning to applaud loudly.  
"NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?" he asked her and, had he had eyes, she was sure he would have winked.  
She started to shake her head but he hadn't waited for her answer.  
"NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE" He held up one of his four fingers. "ANSWER CORRECTLY...OR YOU DIE!!!" The yellow screened flashed to red and back again as synthesized laughter rang out of its speakers.  
Ladybug sucked in a breath as the words sank through her confusion and registered. Die. Death. The end. Failure. Shakily, she pulled herself together and stumbled to her feet, preparing to take him on.  
"Ladybug? Are you coming? Or should I come back later..." Napstablook poked his head in through the door and took in the sight inside. "Oh...I'm interrupting again...sorry...I shouldn't have come in...I'll go now..."  
"Blooky?" The Robot exclaimed, sounding flabbergasted and forgetting to use his microphone. "What are you doing here?"  
"Oh...um...hi...Mettaton..." There it was again, that ethereal blushing on the cheeks of the sheet. "I...was just...you know...moving along...with a friend..."  
"FRIEND?!" the Robot shouted in shock. He looked to Ladybug, back at the ghost, and repeated. "WITH HER?"  
Napstablook nodded then paused. "At least...I think we are...we don't have to be though...if we're not...it's not like I'm pressuring you or anything...you don't have to be..." the little ghost looked distressed enough to cry as he began to pull out of the room.  
"Wait! Napstblook!" Ladybug called after him.  
"You!" The Robot rounded on her "Are you his friend?"  
"Of course!" she huffed.  
"Then do something!" Remembering his mic, the Robot spun around, a smile in his voice when he spoke again. "SORRY EVERYONE! IT LOOKS LIKE TONIGHT'S SHOW WAS CANCELLED! INSTEAD, WE HAVE A NEW DRAMA UNFOLDING! HOW WILL THIS FATEFUL ENCOUNTER PLAY OUT? FIND ON NEXT ON 'META-DRAMA'!"  
And with that he left through the same hole in the wall he had entered by.  
Ladybug stared at the place for a moment before turning to her companion. "Do you know him?"  
Napstablook nodded. "Did...did you mean it when...you said...we were friends? You don't have to mean it...of course...it's understandable that you just didn't want to be on the show..."  
"I meant it, Napstablook." If he had been solid she would have taken his hand. Instead she walked up to him and beamed her best smile. "I really, truly meant it."  
And, for the first time, she was gratified with a single, timid, smile gracing the little ghost's face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late, but still Thursday so this counts! This is the last chapter I have pre-written so...I'll try hard to make sure there's more for next week but I can't guarantee I'll make it. It's been kinda rough around here lately and I haven't had much time to write.  
> Again, thank you to all you amazing people! Thank you for reading my not-so-little story! And letting me know you read it! And liked it! Your encouragement is why I made it this far!  
> Once again, beware spoilers!

Chapter 11

Down pathways of dust, leaping gorges using chutes that propelled a body with waves of hot air, breathing in the acrid smell of all things burning...Ladybug had decided that no matter what the weather, if she could just escape the Hotlands she'd never complain again. She had entered some sort of man-made structure by now, a tunnel maybe? And was searching for a light switch as the glowing red light from the outside faded away.

"Anything?" she called to Naptsablook.

The little ghost appeared beside her and shook his head sadly. "...no...nothing..."

"That's alright" she sighed and faced ahead determinedly. "I'll just have to walk straight and not take any turns."

This was easier said than done as she quickly discovered when she walked into a large, solid, object in the middle of the floor.

"Ow!" the cry escaped her, echoing in the tunnel.

Suddenly, the lights snapped on.

Blinded, Ladybug stumbled back, throwing her hands over her face to shield herself.

"What..." her words were cut off as loud music began playing from somewhere overhead. She peeked between her fingers and saw that the object she had walked into was a counter and rising up from behind it was... "Oh no."

"OHHHH YES!!!" Mettaton's robotic voice filled the kitchen-like room. "WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERLAND'S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!!!"

"Oh no" Ladybug moaned again as she saw the title **"Cooking with a Killer Robot"** typed on the faux recipe papers on the counter.

"PREHEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY! WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING..."

Ladybug swallowed nervously. Did any of the monsters down here actually eat humans?

"...A CAKE!"

A relieved sigh escaped her lips. Of course not. The creatures down here may be strange and creepy sometimes, but they weren't savages. She smiled at the memory of Papyrus and then cast about for Napstablook.

"MY LOVELY ASSISTANT HERE WILL GATHER THE INGREDIENTS! EVERYONE GIVE HER A BIG HAND!" Mettaton continued.

It wasn't until confetti started raining down on her head that Ladybug realized he was talking about her. Slowly she turned to face the robot.

"WE'LL NEED SUGAR, MILK AND EGGS." Mettaton announced in true host style.

Something about the words, the way they were strung together or the way they were spoken...for a moment she lost touch with her surroundings.

 

_"We'll need sugar, milk and eggs" the soft, gentle voice listed out the ingredients._

_"I'll get them Momma!" she called, dropping her schoolbag on the ground and hurrying back downstairs to help fetch the ingredients._

_"Thank you, Marinette" her mother smiled gratefully._

_Marinette returned the smile._

_The room was warm._

_The scent of baked goods filled the air._

_The glow of the afternoon sun slanting through the window, bathed the room in gold._

_This was home._

 

"HELLO? SWEETHEART? WAKEY WAKEY!" Mettaton's synthesized voice jerked her back to reality.

Dazed she looked at him. "Huh?"

"Ladybug!" Napstablook was hovering over her head "Are you alright?"

"Yeah...I..." something felt strange. Reaching up she touched her face and found it wet with tears. "I remembered" she whispered.

"...what...?"

"DAZING OUT ON US AGAIN?" The Robot's voice held a clear note of irritation.

She looked back at the waiting Mettaton. "Bake your own cake." It was supposed to be a defiant exclamation but her voice trembled and she hiccuped halfway through, ruining the effect.

"I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN!" Mettaton exclaimed, surprisingly not looking put out in the least...though his lack of a face may have contributed to hiding his emotions. "THE AUDIENCE IS DYING TO SEE THE SECRET INGREDIENT! WHO CARES ABOUT THE REST? WE'VE ALL BAKED CAKES BEFORE! WHAT MAKES THIS ONE SPECIAL? WELL THEN, I'LL GET RIGHT TO IT BEAUTIES! THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS..." From somewhere beneath the counter he pulled out a very big, very real looking, chainsaw. "...A HUMAN SOUL!"

Ladybug screamed.

He rolled forward, advancing on her with the weapon and she clamped her mouth shut, preparing to fight him as soon as her Choices appeared.

"...what about..." Napstablook's quiet voice brought everything to a sudden halt "...what about...vegans...?" The small ghost had reappeared just behind the robot.

The question hung heavy in the air.

Ladybug found herself holding her breath but was too tense to release it.

"...VEGAN." Mettaton repeated as though trying to understand the word.

"...well...that is..."

"BRILLIANT! THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA BLOOKY!! ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE!!! MTT-BRAND ALWAYS-CONVENIENT-HUMAN-SOUL-FLAVOR SUBSTITUTE!"

Ladybug gagged.

"A CAN OF WHICH...IS JUST OVER ON THAT COUNTER!" He turned so they could all see a little can that sat on a small table across the room. "WELL, DARLING? WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT?"

Ladybug hesitated, glaring at the robot suspiciously, before moving cautiously over to the counter. She was three feet away when it sunk to the floor, shook violently, and then shot up to the ceiling.

"BY THE WAY" Mettaton added as he rolled up behind her, amusement coating his voice "OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SCHEDULE. IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT ONE MINUTE...WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN!!! SO BETTER START CLIMBING, BEAUTIFUL!!!"

"Stupid robot!" she growled. Shoving away all hesitant thoughts, she grabbed onto the still rising counter and began trying to pull herself up. She was only about an inch off the ground when the small can came ricocheting off the walls and cabinets to hit her squarely in the face. With a muffled yelp of pain she fell backwards onto the floor.

"...Sorry...! I'm...so sorry...I knocked it off because...thought it would be helpful...sorry...I'm sorry..."

The can rolled off her smarting face and Ladybug looked up into the liquid eyes of the mumbling ghost.

"Thanks Napstablook" she mumbled "You're a real life-saver." Rolling over she scooped up the can and threw it at Mettaton.

The robot caught the sailing missile easily. "MY MY." He sighed "IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME. BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE HELP OF THE DAPPERBLOOK HIMSELF! OH, I LOATHE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU WITHOUT HIM!!! WELL, TOODLES!" He sailed off and Ladybug had exactly .5 seconds to start relaxing before he zipped back. "OH YES! ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTION...HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE? I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME!!!!! SO FORGET IT!!" And he shot off again.

"I wasn't worried about your stupid cake!" She shouted after him but doubted he heard or cared. With a weary sigh she flopped back onto the floor and rubbed her swelling nose. "And I have seen a cooking show before! Real ones don't cook ahead of time!"

"...Ladybug..." Napstablook started hesitantly.

"Marinette" she corrected him.

"...what...?"

"My name, I just remembered it." She closed her eyes and savored the beautiful, full, sensation of having memories, a past, a self. "My real name...is Marinette."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! I almost didn't think I'd make it but here I am!  
> You guys are the best! Leaving kudos and such even while I'm taking so long to get you new chapters! Really motivating! And so, I present to you...the next chapter! Thanks a bunch for reading and, you know, beware spoilers!

Chapter 12  
Memories. They are strange things. They hold our experiences, our treasures, our fears, and our entire view of 'self' and 'future'.  
Marinette was fairly sure she had read that somewhere but it occurred to her as she savored her newly-found memories, running over and over and she envisioned the faces of her mother, father, friends...Adrien. The only really fuzzy part was how she had come to be in the Underland. The events connected to that still lay in a mist but now that she knew who she was the rest didn't seem to matter as much. When she found the child, she would have all the answers she needed.  
"Ladyb...sorry...I did it again...I'm sorry...Marinette..." her companion mumbled from where he hovered by her shoulder.  
"It's alright Tikki" Marinette started absently and then stopped mid-step. "Wait...no, that's...Napstablook. My turn...to forget...I guess, it's alright, don't worry..." she turned in a circle, looking for something she couldn't find. "Tikki?"  
But Tikki was nowhere to be found. Her little pink kwami was gone. And, on second thought, had been ever since she woke up here. But why? The small presence constantly hovering by her shoulder had been her ever-present companion for almost a year. What had happened? Her fingers touched the metal earrings that still adorned her ears. She hadn't taken them off or lost them. Had they gotten damaged? She pulled them off and quickly assessed them. They looked dirty but otherwise unharmed. So where was Tikki?  
"...Marinette...?" Napstablook's voice pulled her back to the present.  
"Uh, yes?" Her head jerked up and she found herself once more traversing the metal boardwalk over the Hotlands.  
"...are you ok...?"  
"Yeah" she looked at her earrings again and then shook her daze off. She would figure this out. It would all come back to her. She just needed to find the Child. "Yeah, sorry, let's keep going."  
"...where are we going...exactly...not that I mind going...I was just curious...and you don't have to..."  
"I'm not really sure" Marinette answered as she walked on "I'm just...trying to find a child."  
"Right...why do you need to find them...?"  
"To save them" She paused and then frowned "Or stop them. I'm not really sure." She shook her head and started walking again "We just need to find them. Then I'll know."  
"...ok..."

* * *

 

"Hot! So hot!" Adrien collapsed in the cool shade of what looked like a beat-up old laboratory. He didn't really care what it was right now, only that the inside was almost cold. He lay down against the metal floor and waited until his body no longer felt like a cooked chicken.  
When at last he could bear to stand again, he noticed how dark it was and set off along the walls in search of a switch. He found one, eventually, and was gratified when the laboratory surged to life when he flipped it. Lights came on and...so did a series of televisions. A few showed him, standing in the lab, but the others...  
Adrien felt his heart skip a beat. Who was the red clothed lady fighting a spider in a dark tunnel? Why did she make him feel...so strange?  
"My Lady.'  
It was her.  
There was no audio but he didn't need to hear to remember her voice. Name and relation to him were still pretty foggy but he knew her. He had found her, or almost, and he wasn't going to lose her again. He turned and dashed outside, not even noticing the oppressive heat. He had to reach her!

* * *

 

Marinette stumbled out of the tunnel gasping and shaking. She would live in terror of spiders forevermore. If Napstablook hadn't been there, reasoning with the spiders, she wasn't sure what she would have done. She stumbled forward on a dark pathway that led past what looked like a vine covered castle straight out of a fairytale. She took two steps towards it and halted when a voice called out.  
"OH? THAT HUMAN..."  
Dreading what she was about to find, her gaze followed the sound of the synthesized voice to the top of the castle steps. It was worse than she had imagined.  
"COULD IT BE...?" Mettaton rolled into view and he was somehow wearing a flowing white dress.  
"I thought we were done!" she shouted angrily "I mean...the bombs...!" She had barely escaped him last time when he trapped her on a ledge surrounded by bombs! Again, it was Napstablook who got her out of that one by accidently blowing out the fuse of the largest explosive.

  
"...IT IS! MY ONE TRUE LOVE!" Mettaton sang out, ignoring her shouts. He glided down the stairs to face her and clasped his hands before crying out in a particularly grating voice. "Oh my love! Please run away! Monster King forbids your stay! Humans must live far apart even if...it breaks my heart! They'll put you..." the robot looked at the girl who's tilted face showed restrained annoyance, and something happened that had never happened before. He forgot his lines.  
They stared at each other wordlessly for a moment and he noticed, for the first time, her round face and very blue eyes.  
"Well?" She sighed "Are you going to finish? What do I have to do to get out of this one?"  
Still, no words came to him. What was happening? And why was he having second thoughts about the next set?!  
Flowers were flowing now, bathing her in soft pink when they obstructed the stage lights.  
He couldn't take it anymore. He pushed the button.

  
Marinette gasped as the floor dropped out from beneath her and she plummeted. The wind was momentarily knocked out of her when she hit the hard packed floor but the sound of the Killer-Robot's motor following after her, was enough to push her to her feet. She cast about her for an escape route but found, to her horror, a multi colored maze, each passage a bright, new, neon color. She had run into a maze like this before Snowdin but the whole thing had broken down and the proper path stayed a steady green. She doubted Mettaton was going to let his maze crash so easily. She glanced around and realized she hadn't seen Napstablook since the spiders. Was he in trouble? Not that she could do much about it.

  
"You've seen it before right?" Mettaton asked pleasantly. He still couldn't remember his lines but at least floating above her gave him enough distance to regain control over himself. And after this, he wouldn't have to worry about her again. "Then I shouldn't need to tell you how it works. Now, just make your way safely to the other end and you're free!" he instructed "but you better hurry." Another button pushed and flames leapt up behind her. "Get through in thirty seconds or you'll be incinerated by these jets of fire!" He laughed and watched her reaction. Was that fear registering on her pale face? Not that he cared. No, this sensation...must be a wire short circuiting...or something... He quickly pushed the last button and the timer started.

  
The heat from the fires was distracting and she couldn't remember which pathway led to what but one held a spider and she would rather face fire than a monster like that again. Her indecision rooted her to the spot and she only managed to take two unsteady steps forward and one back before the timer ran out and the flames closed in.  
"Time's up!" Mettaton sang "Too bad for you, Darling!"  
Marinette looked into the fire that now trapped her from all sides and took a deep breath. She wasn't going to die like this. She faced Mettaton down.

  
And there was fire in her eyes. The reflection of the flames danced there and Mettaton thought it might be him who was melting. He waited impatiently for the fire to hurry up and destroy her...and dreaded it at the same time.

  
The flames drew close...too close. Marinette closed her eyes and tried to pull away from the heat just as they all clicked off.  
She looked up cautiously and then in surprise.  
Robot and girl stared at each other for a long moment.  
"Did you just..." she started breathlessly.

  
"OH! IT APPEARS THAT THE TRAP HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH!" Mettaton exclaimed in his announcer tone as he tried to figure out if he had stopped it.  
The show-phone rang and he answered it, eager to escape the confused eyes of the girl in front of him. "YES? YOU'RE LIVE ON THE METT-DRAMA....WAIT A SECOND!"  
"Tha...that's right!" a shaky voice squeaked out of the robot's stereo. "I turned it off! Y...you can't do that!"  
"SAVED! BY THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS!!!" He shouted "BUT THIS IS NOT OVER!"  
"Wha...what do you mean?" the voice on the other side of the phone asked in shock.

  
"ALPHYS, DARLING, DID YOU FORGET WHAT THE GREEN PATHWAYS DO?" Mettaton's voice was sounding more and more condecending as he went on and Marinette tried to slide a step back, hoping to make a break for it before he got really angry. A spark flew from the Robot's fingers and she froze again.  
"I...." Alphys had obviously forgotten what the green pathways did and Marinette wasn't sure she had known in the first place. Both waited in growing terror for Mettaton to explain.  
"THEY MAKE A SOUND AND THEN YOU HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER. WELL, DARLING...!" He looked to Marinette expectantly.  
What did he want? She felt her head spinning. What was she supposed to do?  
"WELL, WELL, WELL" Mettaton would have shaken his head if he could, she was sure of it. "WELLY, WELL, WELL. WELL, WELLY, WELL, WELL. WELL, WELL, WELLY. YOU NEVER ENTERED A GREEN PATHWAY."  
"..." Silence. What did he want?  
"AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO DIE."  
She felt so tired she almost cried when the transformation took over. She stood there, in costume and felt her knees ready to give out.  
Metatton descended on her slowly and she had a brief moment of enjoying the comical effect of his dress fluttering wildly around the heat waves coming from the rocket that allowed him to hover.  
Her Choices appeared in front of her and she hit ACT, letting her growing frustration push away her weariness and fuel her depleted energy. Her options were Check or Yell. She hit Check and a small scroll of words appeared. Then it was his turn.  
"THIS IS IT, DARLING! SAY GOODBYE!" Mettaton sang as he waved at her.  
And then Napstablook appeared, floating quietly down from the hole in the ceiling. Marinette would never understand the ghost's penchant for using doorways when he could go through walls, but she was nearly moved to happy tears when she saw him. "Napstablook!"  
"Oh!" Genuine surprise registered on his normally despondent face. "Marinette...I thought you had left...which was fine of course...I was just talking with Muffet when you disappeared...sorry for taking so long...you didn't wait for me did you..."  
"I would have but..." she glared at Mettaton who was regarding the ghost...curiously maybe? It was hard to tell what he was thinking with a blank TV screen for his face.  
"You're still together then? And here I thought..." he was mumbling to himself, she hadn't known he could be quiet.

  
This threw things into an awkward loop. Mettaton had assumed she'd dumped the little ghost but now... He looked back at her and felt something short-circuit again when he met her fierce blue eyes. The memory card threatened to wipe clean again. "YOU THERE!" He had to do something and quick before he lost himself "POP QUIZ! WOULD YOU SMOOCH A GHOST?"

  
Marinette looked blankly from him to the little ghost over-head who's face was quickly (somehow) going red, and then back again. With a determined look she stood and shouted "Heck yeah!" and pumped her fist. She wasn't sure what it was but the Killer-Robot seemed to have some sort of soft spot for the ghost (how could you not though?) and she figured an enthusiastic answer would be best.  
That did the trick.  
"CORRECT! OOOH! YOU'VE DEFEATED ME!! HOW CAN THIS BE! YOU WERE STRONGER THAN ME...ETC...WHATEVER!" With another wave he made a hasty exit.  
Relaxing with a sigh as she de-transformed, Marinette dropped back to the floor and grinned up at her companion. "You saved me again. Thanks, Napstablook."  
The little ghost was still speechless from the pop quiz and she chuckled softly before glancing curiously over her shoulder to where Mettaton had disappeared. "Who is that guy anyways? He's awful but seems to care a lot about you."  
"Mettaton's my cousin." Napstablook mumbled, still blushing.  
Seconds ticked by as this sank in.  
"What?!" Marinettte shouted.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Yup, still not dead. And here's the next chapter! Many thanks and much appreciation to everyone's who's following/still reading/just starting. This story might be dead without you all. Thank you.  
> Again, beware spoilers.  
> Happy reading!

Chapter 13  
Adrien was lost and the dinosaur lady on the other end of his phone was no help. She kept stuttering and going on about an anime. If he remembered correctly, her name was Alphys. He hadn't been paying much attention when she found him barreling out of her laboratory and had stumbled through some sort of introduction. She had been nice enough, giving him a phone and offering to help guide him to the girl on the TV screens...but she had proved less than helpful getting through the puzzling maze and now he was standing on a ramp beside a bundle of steam projectors that would have him sailing through the air to another ramp as soon as he stepped on. The problem was figuring out which one he needed to take.  
"Um...err...hold on...I can do this!" Alphys's voice stuttered through the phone.  
Adrien tried to be patient, he really did, but his Lady needed him.  
"Um...maybe...no, no that's not right."  
His patience was wearing thin.

Marinette eyed the restaurant before her curiously. Should she even bother? She didn't really have any money. She looked back at Napstablook. "Wanna go in?"  
"...whatever you want to do..." he mumbled.  
She couldn't tell what that meant so she sighed and shrugged. "I guess we'll just keep..." She stopped.  
There, to the left of the door, stood Sans. A gush of happiness filled her and she looked around, hoping to spot Papyrus too. The other skeleton did not appear to be present but she kept her hopes high as she greeted Sans.  
"Hey!" she called, waving.  
He didn't look surprised to see her when he waved back. "Hey. I heard you're going to the core. How about grabbing some dinner with me first?"  
"Uh..." she looked back at Napstablook who sighed softly.  
"...you go ahead...I’ll wait out here..."  
"You could come in with us." She offered cheerfully.  
"...no...It’s ok...I wouldn't want to interrupt...or anything...I’ll be here...waiting...take your time..."  
She smiled and attempted to pat his head. "I'll be right back then."  
He smiled a little.  
Marinette turned back to Sans "Sure, sounds great."  
"Great. Thanks for treating me." Sans grinned.  
As Marinette gaped and tried in vain to protest, he motioned for her to follow him into the alley on his right.  
'Well' she thought hopefully 'maybe he was talking about some hotdog stand back here or something.'  
The next thing she knew, they were seated at a table in a fancy restaurant, possibly the one they had just been standing outside of. How on earth had they ended up here?  
"Well, here we are" Sans was saying. "So, you're journey's almost over, huh?"  
She looked up at him in surprise, abandoning her study of the tablecloth. "I am?"  
"Sure, you're nearing the exit." His eyeless sockets seemed to be scrutinizing her. "You must really wanna get home."  
She shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "I do."  
"Hey, I know the feeling, Buddo. Though..." Sans sighed "maybe sometimes it's better to take what's given to you. Down here you've already got food, drink, friends...is what you have to do...really worth it?"  
A heavy silence hung in the air.  
Sans gave her a sidelong glance and possibly grinned even more broadly. "Ah, forget it. I'm rootin for ya', kid."  
She offered him a small smile and then dropped her gaze back to her clasped hands. "I do need to get home." she murmured "But it's more than that. I...I need to find this child. If I don't...something terrible will happen."  
They were silent again for a moment.  
"Hey" Sans broke the dismal quiet "let me tell you a story."  
She nodded and pulled her chair closer.  
"So, I'm a sentry in Snowdin forest, right?" he starts "I sit out there and watch for humans. It's kind of boring. Fortunately" here he winks at her "deep in the forest...there's this HUGE locked door. And it's perfect for practicing knock, knock jokes. So one day, I'm knockin' them out, like usual. I knock on the door and say 'knock, knock'. And suddenly, from the other side...I hear a woman's voice."  
"What was she saying?" Marinette couldn't help herself when he paused to take a sip from his glass.  
Sans grinned broadly at her. "Who is there?"  
She blinked in surprise and then grinned.  
Sans's nods "Yup. She says 'who is there?' So, naturally I respond: 'dishes.' 'Dishes who?' 'Dishes a very bad joke."  
Marinette laughed and Sans winked at her again before continuing.  
"Then she just howls with laughter. Like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. So I keep 'em coming and she keeps laughing. She's the best audience I've ever had. Then, after a dozen of 'em, she knocks and says... 'Knock, knock.' I say 'Who's there?' 'Old lady!' 'Old lady who?' 'Oh! I did not know you could yodel!' Wow. Needless to say, this woman was extremely good."  
Marinette laughed.  
"We kept telling each other jokes for hours. Eventually, I had to leave. Papyrus gets kinda cranky without his bedtime story. But she told me to come by again, and so I did. Then I did again and again. It's a thing now. Telling bad jokes through the door. It rules." He paused for a moment and Marinette had an uneasy feeling.  
"One day, though, I noticed she wasn't laughing very much" he started again, a grin still pasted to his face. "I asked her what was up. Then she told me something strange. 'If a human ever comes through this door...could you please, please promise something? Watch over them and protect them, will you not?' Now, I hate making promises. And, this woman, I don't even know her name." He closed his eyes in resignation and Marinette realized that his face simply couldn't be just bone.  
"But..." Sans sighed "someone who sincerely likes bad jokes...has an integrity you can't say 'no' to." He winked at her and his fading grin returned.  
Another pause.  
Sans stared at the wall for a long time before looking back at her. "Do you get what I'm saying? That promise I made to her... You know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything?" He closed his eyes and tension slowly mounted in the air. "...Buddy." When he looked up at her the small lights in his eyes were gone. They were empty black pits that filled her with unmeasurable terror.  
"...You'd be dead where you stand." Even his voice had changed.  
Petrified, Marinette sat where she was, reliving all of childhood's fear for the monster before her.  
The minutes ticked by. Sans turned and closed his eyes. When he looked back at her, he was grinning again. "Hey, lighten up, Bucko." He winked "I'm just joking with you."  
Marinette didn't know what to think but she was still trying to get her body to stop shaking.  
"Besides..." Sans laughed "Haven't I done a great job protecting you? I mean, look at yourself. You haven't died a single time."  
She frowned and he winked jokingly at her again "Hey, what's that look supposed to mean?"  
Her frown turned into a scowl but she didn't say anything because her hands were still trembling. Needless to say she was remembering certain encounters with a crazy spider and killer-robot.  
"Am I wrong?"  
She pursed her lips but refrained from pushing the point.  
Sans was silent for a moment before shrugging with a chuckle "Heh" he walked to the far end of the room, closer to the wall he had been studying. He turned back to face her. "Well" he winked "that's all. Take care of yourself, kid. ‘Cause someone really cares about you." And with that he strode off.  
Marinette sat in the restaurant awhile longer, contemplating all she had been told. She was sure the woman behind the door was Toriel and the thought that the woman was still looking out for her made her heart ache. She felt so very tired all of a sudden. Not like during a battle, when she wished everything was over or when she was exhausted from walking for so long. She wanted to be home. To smell the bakery and feel her parent's arms around her. She was so tired of all this danger and darkness.  
A single tear slid down her cheek but she brushed it away. Pushing herself to her feet she strode determinedly the opposite way Sans had gone and eventually found the door.  
Outside, Napstablook greeted her with another small smile; they were almost becoming common for the little ghost.  
She smiled back and motioned to the right alley. "This way to the castle?"  
He nodded slowly.  
Taking a deep breath, Marinette turned and struck off. She was going to find those children and make her way out of this place. She was going to go home and see her family and friends again. She was going to fix everything. Because that's what superheroes did. That's what Ladybug did.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware the Spoilers!!!  
> And thanks for sticking with me guys! I know this is taking forever but I think (fingers crossed) we're nearing the end! Thank you for all of your support and for just reading the story and every new chapter no matter when you started or when the chapter comes out! :P  
> You lot are the reason this story is still going!

Chapter 14  
The maze of elevated board walk that wound around crazily in circles and squares was almost impossible to navigate. Being indoors (and the lack of a real sun out of doors) Marinette had nothing to dispute her firm conviction that she had just wandered aimlessly for five hours. But here she was at last, on the other side and facing one of the now familiar metal sliding-doors. She strode up to it, praying that it wouldn't need a code and there wouldn't be some other random puzzle inside, even Napstablook was at a loss when it came to puzzles. She strode up to the door with determination and, to her relief; it slid open with a soft sigh.  
The other side was dark and she had the disconcerting feeling that she was being watched as she tiptoed forward...but maybe that was just Napstablook.  
Her soft footsteps echoed eerily against the walls of what seemed like a hallway and then grew louder all of a sudden as she entered a much more open room. Even then she was moving almost silently but she didn't realize it until a smooth voice broke through the silence like a wrecking ball.  
"OH YES! tHERE YOU ARE, DARLING!"  
Marinette felt her pulse quicken and sweat bead under her hair. She couldn't see a thing and that terrified her more than anything. "Mettaton?" she didn't mean to sound so breathy but fear constricted her throat so she could barely manage any sound. If she could just see where he was coming from she would feel better. "Napstablook, can you tell where he is?"  
Silence greeted her.  
"Napstablook?"  
But the little ghost appeared to have vanished.  
She turned to face Mettaton's voice again.  
"IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO BEGIN THE EPIC CLIMAX OF OUR SHOW. BUT FIRST...LET'S END THIS LITTLE CHARADE!"  
Marinette held her breath, waiting for him to explain. What charade?  
"I'M THROUGH WITH THE ACT. TRUTH BE TOLD, I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY? AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW... WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?"  
And then the lights came on and the floor started moving.  
Marinette clapped her hands over her eyes and dropped to her knees. Her heart was pounding but she kept herself as calm as possible, trying to let her eyes adjust.  
"SORRY FOLKS. THE OLD PROGRAM'S BEEN CANCELLED! BUT WE'VE GOT A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU WILD!"  
They were moving up with growing speed and Marinette could feel the wind whistling by her. Slowly she peeled her hands away from her face and looked at the robot before her.  
"REAL ACTION! REAL DRAMA! REAL BLOODSHED!" Mettaton was on a roll now and she could see that he was in his element. "ON OUR NEW SHOW...ATTACK OF THE KILLER-ROBOT!"  
Gritting her teeth, Marinette stood up and the transformation washed over her. She was done with this awful robot! He knew he was in the wrong and was still trying to kill her? It was time Ladybug put an end to his reign of terror.  
"I WAS THE ONE WHO HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU!" He taunted, waving at her and dancing just out of reach. "THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT SIGHTED PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER? KILLING YOU MYSELF!!!"  
And the next thing she knew he was showering her in what looked like bricks.  
It was her turn now. She hit Act and then, out of her two Options, Check; since Burn didn't seem like a helpful Choice.  
"LISTEN, DARLING. I'VE SEEN YOU FIGHT. YOU'RE WEAK." Mettaton confided in an almost helpful tone "IF YOU CONTINUE FORWARD ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL. AND WITH YOUR SOUL ASGORE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY."  
"Don't pretend like you care!" she snapped and whipped out her yo-yo, dodging a few more of his missiles as she spoke. "I'll just make sure he doesn't get my Soul!"  
Mettaton looked like he wanted to shake his head but instead, waved airily and dropped more bricks.  
Act. Check.  
"IF I GET YOUR SOUL, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN!" Mettaton pressed on "I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION!" And that's when he started dropping rows of missiles at her. She lashed out with her yo-yo, destroying the weak points and slipping through the narrowing openings.  
"THEN, USING YOUR SOUL I'LL CROSS THROUGH THE BARRIER..." Mettaton continued in an excited voice "AND BECOME THE STAR I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING! HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS...NO, MILLIONS OF HUMANS WILL WATCH ME!" He threw more lines of bricks her way.  
She hit the weak points and was almost taken by surprise when a bomb went off. She rolled out of the way and then ducked back through the open space with barely a moment to spare.  
"GLITZ! GLAMOUR! I'LL FINALLY HAVE IT ALL!" Mettaton was still talking "SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS BABY!"  
While she might have vehemently protested this approach to show business normally, Marinette didn't answer because she wasn't listening. In her last move she had noticed something strange. A switch on the robot's back.  
Now she was well aware that Mettaton wasn't an ordinary robot but weren’t single switches universally created for the same purpose? On or off.  
As Mettaton rambled she somersaulted past him and smacked the switch to its opposite side.  
For a moment everything was silent.  
"DID YOU." Mettaton's voice was in a subdued sort of shock "JUST FLIP." Or maybe it wasn't shock. "MY SWITCH?" There was a distinctly threatening tone in his synthesized voice now.  
Suddenly the robot started shaking violently. Dropped the mike he had been clutching, his body vibrated crazily as the lights on his screen flashed and flicked in discord and static.  
Marinette leapt back, wondering fearfully if he was going to blow up. The shaking grew more and more violent until, at last, he exploded in a blinding white light.  
Ladybug covered her face with her hands to shield her eyes and dropped to a crouch to avoid flying debris.  
But there was no flying debris.  
"OH YEAH" A synthesized voice spoke out of the explosion.  
Marinette's heart skipped a beat.  
The light faded and she looked up warily to assess the damage. What had she done?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me go! Two chapters in as many weeks! Probably won't happen again but we are getting near the end, so it'll all be over soon people. Thanks for sticking with me this far and for reading. Please enjoy and, you know, beware spoilers!  
> Also, this chapter was inspired by this animatic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSTcRzpL7pQ  
> I make no claim to the video aside from being a fan. All credit goes to the amazing animator who made it.

Chapter 15  
Spotlights slid down from the nearby ceiling and smoke drifted eerily out of the way to reveal a figure she had never seen before.  
"Ohhhh my." the Stranger sighed. "If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premier of my new body. How rude... Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. So, as thanks, I'll give you a handsome award. I'll make your last living moments...ABSOLUTELY beautiful!"  
The fog had cleared. Marinette stared at the Newcomer in shock. "Mettaton? But...it can't be."  
The figure before her was humanoid, granted he looked like a robot-human with all of the metal plating on his body and face but a far cry from the rolling TV-robot.  
"Of course it's me, Darling." Mettaton's human face smiled endearingly at her before he spun around and snapped his fingers. "Lights! Camera! Action!" And without warning he whirled back around at her, lashing out with a series of furious kicks.  
Marinette blocked with a well-timed blow from her yo-yo. She barely managed to dodge away. She hit Act but then stared at her choices. What was she supposed to do with Pose, Boast and Heel-Turn?  
Mettaton was dancing back towards her. She quickly hit Boast. "I won't let you hit me!" she growled at the robot.  
Screens appeared on the edges on the stage light’s pool and she saw something increase on the graph there but didn't have time to question what it might be because Mettaton was showering her in bombs again.

Mettaton watched the girl gracefully avoid each missile and easily regain her feet. Her every move was perfect and pointed. And the look in her eyes was fabulous. He watched her increase in viewers appear on the overhead screens and smiled slightly. His wires were short circuiting again but he had a feeling he knew what the problem was now.

"Drama! Romance! Blood-shed!" Mettaton sang as Marinette chose Boast again and he dropped more bombs on her. "I'm the idol everyone adores!"  
And then he was throwing bricks again.  
She was watching the missiles closely and almost missed the roundhouse kick he sent her way. She blocked, slid a few feet, and then ducked under him, avoiding his group attack with ease.  
"Wonderfully done, Darling!" Mettaton applauded.  
She selected Pose this time and then readied herself for the bombs he sent her way.  
"You know" he was suddenly behind her and with a gasp of surprise she dropped and rolled away from him, putting distance between them.  
"I dare say I'm falling for you." He was behind her again.  
Marinette back flipped, hoping to land a blow and take him by surprise but he easily caught her ankle, spinning her around and then giving forceful tug. The next instant she found herself back on her feet, dizzily twirling away from him. She quickly righted herself and glared at him. "As if."  
"No truly. My heart is beating wildly with admiration for your beautiful performance! Here, I'll prove it." He flipped open a panel around his waist and a pink heart glowed brightly in his chest...seconds before it spewed out a windmill of deadly projectiles.  
Ladybug dodged and then dodged again, and then again. Every time she thought the round had ended another one began!

* * *

 

Grillby's was packed and the conversational hum was lulling Sans into a dreamy state. He was about ready to head back home and resume his nap when he happened to glance up at the TV screen over the counter. It took a moment for the scene to register and then he did a spit take all over Grillby.  
The fire daemon fled to remove the damaging liquid and Papyrus turned on his brother furiously. "SANS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" he shouted.  
Sans pointed frantically to the screen and Papyrus almost lost his jaw.  
"IS THAT LADYBUG ON THE METTATON SHOW?" he bellowed.  
Sans couldn't really care less what show she was on. What mattered was that this battle was looking rather gruesome. Blood trickled from her forehead where something had got her and the stage was a wreck from the exploding bombs. And Mettaton's form had changed. This looked bad. He debated leaving now but couldn't bring himself to do it. Tensely he watched the fight progress.

* * *

 

"Is that the best you've got?" Marinette tried to scoff as she performed another Pose.  
"Oh no, I’m just warming up!" Mettaton laughed, appearing at her elbow and spinning her gracefully towards the twirling ring of bombs.  
She escaped his grip and back flipped. Her hands briefly touched the very center of the circle before she pushed off and landed safely behind it. A few small robots chased after her and stray missiles swept past, inches from her shoulders. She danced out of reach and Heel-Turned. Wiping the sweat and blood out of her eyes she shot the robot a triumphant look.  
"Impressive!" Mettaton applauded warmly. "But..." he smiled "how are you on the dance floor?"  
A disco light appeared over her head but it wasn't light that was coming out of it. It was lasers.  
Sucking in a deep breath she lashed out at the ball in the hope of destroying it. The alternating blue lights flashed white briefly and she ducked through them to safety.  
"Lights. Camera. Bombs!" Mettaton called with a laugh and bombs rained down on her from above.  
"Things are blowing up!" he called as he pointed to the rising lines on the graphs. She was momentarily distracted by this and almost missed his second rally of missiles.  
"You'll have to do better than that!" She scoffed.  
"Oh really?" Mettaton looked pleasantly amused. "I almost got you.  
"You can't touch me!" She Boasted.  
"Ooh, I like it!" he exclaimed and then he clapped once. "Time for our union-regulated break!" The screen flashed 'Happy Break time' and Marinette found herself dumbfounded. She had never believed it before but...were they actually on TV? Was this all just a show to him? Had he paused trying to kill her for a commercial break?  
"Aaaand, we're back!" The next thing she knew he was twirling her across the broken stage floor.  
Marinette freed herself and leapt backwards, putting distance between them.  
"We've grown so distant, Darling..." Mettaton sighed mournfully "How about another Heart-to-Heart?" He winked at her and then released the Heart shaped weapon from its panel.  
She escaped the attacks and then Boasted again.  
Then something strange happened. The Heart returned to its panel...and Mettaton's arms fell off.  
Mettaton seemed vaguely surprised too. "A...arms? Who needs arms with legs like these?" And he somehow managed to spin again in his heeled boots. He stopped and smiled benignly at her "I'm still going to win!"  
"We'll see about that!" she growled.  
He sent bombs.  
She dodged and detonated them amongst themselves.  
"The show...must go on!" Mettaton was beginning to sound strained "Dr...drama! A...action!" And his voice was slurring a little.  
Marinette shot him a curious glance but didn't have much time for concern.  
"L...lights! C...camera!" He suddenly scowled "Enough of this! Do you really want humanity to perish? Or" he snarled "do you just believe in yourself this much?"  
"It's none of those." She back flipped over a row of miniature flying robots and landed lightly on her feet. "There's something I have to do! And I won't let anyone stop me!"  
He smiled begrudgingly "Ahaha, how inspiring!" He spun again. "Well, Darling, it either me or you! But I think we both already know who's going to win. Witness the true power of humanity's star!" And with that he released his Heart again.  
Ladybug started to move to avoid the bullets issuing from it and received a blow to the side as Mettaton's kicked found her ribs. She gasped and slid back before realizing that everything was coming at her at once. With nowhere left to run, she was forced to make a quick decision.  
Her feet pulled her forward without thinking and then she was in the thick of it.  
The next several moments were a dizzying blur. Reliance of reflexes were all that was getting her through but she wasn't unscathed.  
She was almost through when Mettaton's legs fell off.  
"OOH! LOOK AT THESE RATINGS!" he exclaimed as though he hadn't noticed he was only a head and torso now. "THIS IS THE MOST VIEWERS I'VE EVER HAD!!!"  
Marinette pulled up short in horror and almost took a small robot in the face.  
"WE'VE REACHED THE VIEWER CALL-IN MILESTONE! ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME...BEFORE I LEAVE UNDERLAND FOREVER!" He was practically singing now and Marinette didn't know what to make of it.  
"LET'S SEE WHO CALLS IN FIRST! HI, YOU'RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS, OUR LAST SHOW???"  
"...oh...hi Mettaton..." the quiet stuttering voice that was coming from a speaker on Mettaton's chest was unmistakable.  
"Napstablook?" Marinette exclaimed in surprise. She turned around in a circle and found that he was, indeed, not with her. Where had he gone?"  
"...I really liked watching your show..." Napstablook continued. "my life was pretty boring for a long time.....it's better for now...but it'll go back to normal soon.....seeing you on the screen......always brought excitement to my life.....vicariously.......I can't tell but...I guess this is the last episode.....? I’ll miss you....Mettaton......oh....I didn't mean to talk so long...oh..." And the call ended.  
"No, wait. Wait Bl...!" Mettaton tried to protest but too late.  
With the missiles finished, Marinette was able to pause and look at him curiously. The humor was gone and a weight seemed to hang on Mettaton now. He looked, almost, sad.  
He...already hung up." Mettaton seemed to take a moment to get over this fact before he could force a rather weak smile again. "I'LL TAKE ANOTHER CALLER!!!"  
And then they came in. A flood of calls broadcasted throughout the room. Calls full of tales and laughter and several proclamations of love, but all of them thanking him. Everyone admitted that life there was bland and dark. But Mettaton had given them just enough crazy excitement to make life seem like it could still be worth plowing through. Many people burst into tears on the phone but Mettaton never cut them off. He just seemed to soak it all in.  
"Ah...I...I see..." he murmured at last. "EVERYONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. DARLING."  
Silently, Marinette walked over and knelt by him.  
"PERHAPS...IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF I STAY HERE FOR A WHILE." He told her with a smile that seemed to be hiding a joke.  
Marinette tried to return the smile but her insides were tightening in an uncomfortable way and she felt that she might be about to cry.  
"HUMANS ALREADY HAVE STARS AND IDOLS, BUT MONSTERS...THEY ONLY HAVE ME. IF I LEFT...THE UNDERLAND WOULD LOSE IT'S SPARK. I'D LEAVE AN ACHING VOID THAT CAN NEVER BE FILLED. SO..." He closed his eyes resignedly and smiled "I THINK I'LL HAVE TO DELAY MY BIG DEBUT. BESIDES." Here he smiled warmly up at her. "YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE VERY STRONG. PERHAPS...EVEN STRONG ENOUGH TO GET PAST ASGORE. I'M SURE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PROTECT HUMANITY."  
Marinette placed a hand on his shoulder and met his eyes. "I'll do my best to help the monsters here too, Mettaton. I promise."  
"I BELIEVE YOU, DARLING. IT'S TOO BAD THOUGH." He seemed lost in thought for a moment before laughing softly "HA HA HA, IT'S ALL FOR THE BEST, ANYWAY. THE TRUTH IS, THIS FORM'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS...INEFFICIENT. IN A FEW MOMENTS I'LL RUN OUT OF BATTERY POWER, AND...WELL..."  
She knew it. She had known it from the moment he collapsed. He was dying. Her grip tightened fearfully on his shoulder as thought that would keep him alive.  
He smiled at the stricken look on her face. "YOU DO REALIZE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO KILL YOU THIS WHOLE TIME, DON'T YOU?"  
She nodded absently and he chuckled.  
"I'LL BE ALRIGHT." He grinned roguishly. "KNOCK 'EM DEAD, DARLING." He turned back to the screens "AND EVERYONE...THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!"  
The spotlight faded and the hall lights flickered on.  
In the full light she could see the distant look in Mettaton's eyes. He was gone.  
Marinette stood up and tried to breathe again as she de-transformed. But her lungs wouldn't expand enough and before she knew it, tears were streaking her face. Wasn't this why she was here? To stop them from dying? So why? Was this her fault? Had she done this? Could she have stopped it?  
The door behind her banged and she heard voices. She looked down at Mettaton fearfully but then decided that she was in a lot more danger than the beloved superstar. Forcing down a steadying breath she took one last, good look at the robot. "I won't let you down." And then she ran.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Yes, I'm still alive and so is this story. I just want to hug everyone who has been patient enough to hang on and who is still here, reading this new chapter. Thank you everyone!  
> As per usual: beware the spoilers!  
> And enjoy!

Chapter 16  
"Now left. Left again. NO WAIT! RIGHT! IT WAS RIGHT! GO RIGHT!"  
Adrien skidded to a stop and backtracked again. He ran with the phone held tightly in his hand, eyes glued to the screen and just barely listening to the voice giving him directions.  
His Lady had just fought a robot. She had escaped and was probably fine. She was amazing like that. But she had been alone. Completely alone. His heart ached at the thought. And where was she now? Fleeing for her life as the monsters sought retaliation for the death of their star? Was she, even now, facing a new foe? Could she stand another fight in her weakened state? Was she actually ok? What if she was really hurt?  
These and a million other questions raced through his head, all of them muffled by the single, pulsing thought that drove him onwards. _'I have to find her.'_  
"No wait! Go back! I think it was the other way! I...I think...oh...!" Alphys moaned in frustration.  
He didn't care as he slid to a halt and spun back the way he had come, darting into a dark room and hardly hearing the screams of protest this action brought on. He would find her, no matter what.  
And then the spotlight came on.

* * *

 

Marinette ran. She followed the only path that was left to her and didn't stop until she came to the elevator. It opened as she approached and she mindlessly tumbled inside. The doors slid shut and then it started moving.  
As it gently rocked upwards the adrenaline faded out of her body. Her knees buckled and she hit the floor as her strength gave out. Her hands clamped over her face to stifle the sobs that insisted on coming. The memory of Mettaton's face loomed in her mind. Her body was still sore from the bruises he had given her but...she didn't hate him. Didn't even dislike him. Honestly, the stupid robot had started to grow on her. And she had killed him. She suddenly wished she hadn't run here. She wished she had turned around and run back to the Ruins. She could admit to Toriel that she had been wrong and beg her to let her back in. Maybe Toriel would forgive her...who was she kidding? No one would forgive her for this. She couldn't forgive herself. There was nothing to do but keep going and face whatever was at the end of her journey. The sobs of sorrow turned to those of fear and loneliness. She curled herself into a ball in the bottom of the elevator and closed her eyes. The gentle rocking lulled her into a numbness that was a relief from the reality she faced. Sleep took over and she fell into a dreamless escape.

  
When Marinette awoke she found that the elevator had stopped. It opened onto a colorless landscape and a long path stretched away before her.  
For a moment she considered lying still and not moving, but where was the point in that? She still had a Child to find. Trying to shove away the doubts and troubles eating at her, she pulled herself to her feet and stepped outside, following the path wherever it led. The end of the path came to a house that looked strangely familiar. She stood outside the small fence and stared at it, trying to remember where she had seen it before. It wasn't until she stepped inside though that she remembered. It was an exact but colorless replica of Toriel's house. The aching came back in full force and she crept quickly into the living room. No fire crackled here and it looked as though it had been a long time since anyone had sat in the chair before the grate. Even so, she curled up in the dusty piece of furniture and looked around. Her stomach rumbled but she ignored it, closing her eyes and soaking up the comfort of this place. Soon she was asleep again.

  
This time, when she woke, she actually felt a little bit more refreshed. Standing she stretched and wandered into the kitchen. There was nothing there to eat but she still had a bit of food left in her pockets that she had picked up...somewhere. She couldn't remember where. Munching some sort of dry energy bar, she returned to the living room and slid back into the chair, noticing for the first time the small TV across from her. It was old. She stood and pushed the button on the front to turn it on and then played with the dials a bit, not really sure what she was looking for. It was all mostly static but she hit a channel eventually and, after a bit of experimentation, brought the picture into focus.  
The half-eaten energy bar fell to the floor.  
She stared at the image before her in shock, unable to process what she was seeing.  
Could it be? Was it even possible? Was that really...Mettaton?

* * *

 

"...HERE FOR OUR AMAZING ENCORE! NOW, AS I SAID, MY DEAR GIRL HAD TO RUN BUT WE'VE GOT OURSELVES AN EXCITING NEW CONTESTANT AND, I'M TOLD HE'S CHALLENGING OUR CHAMPION!" Mettaton shouted eagerly into his speaker. "WELL NOW FOLKS, I CAN'T JUST LET HIM SLIDE CAN I? AFTER CHALLENGING A LADY?" He quietly laughed at the hypocrisy before continuing. "AND SO WE FIND OURSELVES CAUGHT IN THE DRAMA AND THE ACTION! THE BLACK VILLAIN VERSUS THE GALLANT PROTECTOR." He winked at the camera as a spotlight came on behind him. "THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, MARINETTE."

* * *

 

Marinette laughed and collapsed back in her chair. He was alive! The world seemed to right itself and she felt filled with strength again. She looked at the figure waving at the camera beside the robot and her heart warmed. Papyrus.  
"We found him! We'll hold him THIS TIME, Marinette!" He shouted into Mettaton's mike.  
Sans spared a wry grin for the camera and behind them a desperate looking dinosaur lady was trying and failing to get their attention. Her gaze wandered to the figure behind them all and her heart stopped.  
Her lungs stopped working.  
Her body froze.  
Everything else faded away and all she could see was him, standing in the light.  
The name sprang to her lips as memories poured back to her.  
"Adrien."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me! Back again two weeks in a row! Here you are, all my wonderful readers: the next chapter! And what's that I spy near the end? It's movement-in-plot! So yes, hopefully I'm finally going to be able to wrap this up soon. thanks for hanging on!  
> And two notes:  
> 1\. I'm not a dancer so all these moves are Googled. I hope they sound/are used accurately.  
> 2\. This was one of those ideas that was invented at 2;00 in the morning between the original brains of the story (before I took over) and I couldn't drop it. That's the only explanation to 'why?' you're going to get, sorry.  
> The usual: BEWARE THE SPOILERS!   
> And enjoy!

Chapter 17  
Mettaton felt alive again. Mostly due to the new batteries but also because he was back. He wasn't sure he had ever loved the Underland as much as he did now. He felt like he had never seen it before. Full of all the amazing monsters who looked to him for excitement in their lives. And he would have never known if he hadn't fought that girl.  
After Alphys had replaced his batteries, Mettaton had woke to find the Skeleton brothers from Snowdin barging into his stage. Papyrus especially appeared distraught though the robot couldn't tell if that was because of his fight with the girl or something else.  
He learned two important things from them though.  
One was that the girl's name was Marinette. It rolled of his tongue and made his wires short-circuit again.  
Two was that the strange fellow stumbling into the room behind them was after her with sinister purposes.  
That was all he really heard and, ignoring Alphys's calls for attention, he quickly reconstructed the stage and flipped on the cameras. He would keep the villain here as long as possible, give Marinette a head start, and possibly warn her that her attacker was just behind her.  
It wasn't until he had finished announcing the opening of the show that he realized she had probably thought he was dead. He hoped she hadn't taken it too hard...and then took that back and hoped she had cried for him. It meant more that way.  
Either way, he knew she was watching, eyes fastened to the screen, probably hands clasped and cheering him on.  
As he stepped onto the stage, Mettaton promised himself that he would try to find her when this was over. He glanced to the side and noticed a distraught white form hovering just at the edge of the spotlight.  
"Blooky? What are you doing here? I thought you were with..."  
"I lost Marinette!" Napstablook moaned "...I didn't mean to but...she went one way and I didn't see...oh...she must hate me know...I don't know what to do....maybe I'll just go home..."  
"Calm down" Mettaton glanced back at his opponent who was attempting to cross the stage and made a quick decision. "We'll go after her in just a bit. But I've got to take care of this guy first. Just wait. Alright?"  
The small ghost nodded reluctantly.  
Mettaton flashed him a grin "Good. Enjoy the show!" And he slid into the spotlight.

Adrien felt surprise at first on seeing the very same robot that had previously fought his Lady, striding onto the stage. Then he felt angry and, maybe a little excited. Hitting something sounded like a great way to relieve some of his stress, and hitting something that had attacked his Lady sounded even better.  
"SO, YOU FINALLY SHOW YOURSELF, VILLAIN?" the robot shouted into his mike dramatically.  
"No! Wait! Mettaton...misunderstanding!" Alphys shouted and struggled to get on the stage but she was too short.  
It didn't matter much to Adrien if the robot was mistaken about something, he was about to go down hard.  
Either he didn't hear or didn't care (probably both), but Mettaton continued right on talking. "I HAVE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD OVER THE PAST TEN MINUTES TO DEVISE A SUITABLE DEMISE FOR YOU AND, LONG STORY SHORT, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IN THE MOST GLAMOROUS WAY POSSIBLE!" He struck a pose, a brand new burst of light fell on him and the music started. Mettaton winked. "What do you say to a little dance off?"  
The atmosphere changed and with it Adrien became Chat Noir. There was no question in the boy's mind as to whether or not this was a fight...he just wasn't expecting this type of fighting.  
Mettaton started with mostly steps and a spin that turned out to be a vicious roundhouse kick.  
Chat jumped back and retaliated but the robot was already dancing away, waving a warning finger at his opponent.  
Breathing deeply, Chat prepared himself. Two could play at this game and he was an amazing dancer. He shook out his arms then cartwheeled backward as Mettaton came at him. He dropped and then wormed his way close again before lashing out with a windmill spin. He made a hit before Mettaton backflipped away, putting distance between them.  
Grinning, Chat came up and Moonwalked back before striking a pose.

Mettaton couldn't help being impressed. Three moves in quick succession and each performed flawlessly. He didn't need to remind himself that this was for Marinette. He was enjoying himself too much to go easy. He dropped into a neat roll and came up on one hand, catching his opponent by surprise with a rapid fire of flares before dropping to a slashing boomerang.

Chat narrowly avoided each metal leg as they came swinging at him and backflipped, tucking himself into a ball while in the air and succeeding in adding a few extra rolls before he landed on his feet and spun dramatically.

"You're not half bad, you know that?" Mettaton commented from right behind the boy.  
Chat launched at him but missed and quickly turned his fall into a somersault. "Of course I'm not!" He flashed the robot a grin before spinning in and shooting a fist out when closer.  
Mettaton dodged. "You know, I would enjoy this so much more if you weren't after our girl. What's a great dancer like you doing, scaring her anyways eh?"  
Chat faltered "What?" He recovered and bent over backwards before bringing his whole body after him in an impressive backflip. "I'm not scaring her."  
Mettaton applauded the flip before dropping into a dead man float that knocked the boy's feet out from under him. "But you are! She was all distressed about the man chasing after her. I hear you match the description."  
"You think I'm trying to hurt her! Look who's talking!" Chat snapped but his heart had skipped a beat. Of course. That's why everyone was trying to stop him. Toriel had thought he was trying to hurt the girl too. Someone was after his Lady...and possibly after him too.  
"Touche" Mettaton chuckled as he avoided the boy's next assault and then lashed out at him. "But you're still chasing her. Why?"  
"Because she's my partner and I need to defend her!" Chat announced firmly.  
"That's adorable!" Mettaton laughed and nearly knocked his opponent off the stage.  
Chat recovered and retaliated, the enjoyment wearing off fast. He needed to move on from here. He needed to find his Lady and he needed to protect her from whatever was coming.  
"So, if what you're saying is true, you've failed to protect your partner at least once already, lost her, and are now stuck here miles away...what makes you think you'll be of any help to her now?" Mettaton taunted him.  
"Because we're a team" the fuzzy memories of how he got here still eluded him "and we work best together" had they been working together when they fell? "And I will always protect her!" Had he been protecting her?  
"It's true!" Alphy's voice echoed across the room.  
Both Chat and Mettaton drew up short and looked to her in surprise.  
Panting and glaring while still managing to look terrified, Alphys gathered herself. "He isn't trying to hurt her! He's just been following her!"  
"And how do you know that?" Mettaton quirked a silver eyebrow at her.  
"I...uh...er..." Alphys mumbled a shuffled a moment "I was watching...with my cameras..."  
"I figured that" Mettaton crossed his arms and snorted "but what makes you think he's not the one after Marinette?"  
"B...b...because..." she drew herself up as much as she could despite shaking like a leaf "because a purple butterfly's been trying to get them both!"  
Silence.  
A butterfly.  
A purple butterfly.  
Chat's stomach knotted in dread.  
Papillon.  
He looked around and was surprised to see horror on all the monster's faces. "What does that mean to you?" he demanded.  
Everyone was quiet for a long time.  
Eventually, Sans spoke. "A long time ago, a tragedy hit the Underland."  
"Our good king lost his family" Mettaton picked up when the small skeleton hesitated "and the grief drove him mad. He sealed the barrier between our world and the human's and has killed every human that's fallen down here since and has become...not a good king."  
"He lives in the back of the palace now, surrounded by golden flowers and purple butterflies." Sans finished.  
"The butterflies first appeared a few years ago" Alphys explained "After the tragedy. The killings started after that."  
The group was quiet for a long time before Mettaton roused himself and looked Chat in the eye. "If a butterfly's following you then you're not our enemy. They only follow after potential victims."  
"Potential..." Ice filled the boy's heart "I...I have to find her."  
"And quickly." Alphys agreed.  
"Well! What are we waiting for?!" Papyrus shouted, almost jumping up and down by the door in a frenzy to be gone.  
"Right, let's go" Mettaton strode past them, leading the way out of the room. Napstablook, Alphys, Papyrus and (reluctantly) Sans, all fell into step behind him.  
"What...wait...all of you...you're coming?" Adrien asked in surprise.  
"Of course" Mettaton tilted his head back and winked at the boy "We've got make sure our girl's okay!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three weeks in a row! Fingers crossed I'll be able to keep this up. Hold on everyone, the end is in sight!  
> As always, beware the spoilers, and enjoy!

Chapter 18  
Marinette stared at the blank screen. What had happened? where had they gone? Where was Adrien? And Chat? Adrien was Chat. She was reeling and her head hurt. She closed her eyes and fought back the overwhelming confusion. She could process this later. The mic's had been off and it had been impossible to hear everything they said but she had caught one important term.  
Purple butterfly.  
Papillion was here and she had a feeling he was responsible for her memories and the missing child.  
She wouldn't let him win.  
Standing, she took a deep breath and faced the door. She was close to the end now, she was sure of it. She just needed to reach the castle. There she would find the Child, answers and her memories. Everything was just up ahead and nothing was going to stop her from reaching them.  
She took a step forward and the lights flickered out. She blinked and, through the darkness found herself facing a pair of frogs that hadn't been there before. A gasp escaped her as she automatically transformed.  
"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS" the frog on the left intoned, pulling her attention back to them.  
"Injured by its fall, the human cried out for help." The second frog took up the tale in its deep, rumbling voice.  
A chill passed down the girl's spine. She remembered a hole in the ceiling.  
Golden flowers.  
A dark cave.  
Her battered body.  
The lights flashed and she found herself alone in the room again.  
Marinette took a wary step forward, searching for the frogs...and the lights went out again. When her eyes adjusted to the sudden blackness she found two large insects hovering in front of her.  
"Asriel, the King's son, heard the human's cry" one of the insect-creatures sighed in buzzing murmur.  
"He brought the human back to the castle." the second finished.  
The lights flickered and she was alone again.  
Marinette shuddered and hurried from the room.  
She stepped into the hall but hesitated by the door. Something pulled at her...a memory...at Toriel's house there had been a children's room despite the woman living alone. Surely there hadn't been only human children who fell down there. And yet there was no guest room. Just an empty child's room...  
She didn't know what this meant, or why it had occurred to her now, but she found herself creeping towards the corresponding room in this house. She opened the door and found a grey and white version of the same room. A child's room.  
Cold sweat ran down her back as she stepped inside.  
On the floor lay two present-like boxes. She opened them. One held a locket and the other a dagger. She closed the box with the dagger but picked up the locket.  
On the inside was a picture of a small monster that resembled Toriel and a human...a child in a green sweater.  
She felt her world sway.  
The Child.  
The one she was looking for.  
Turning she rushed out into the hall and cast about. There had to be more. More to the story.  
Where was the child?  
What had happened?  
How had they come here?  
Why was she here?  
Halfway down the hall the lights went out again. She strained her eyes and spotted the amoeba like creatures, three of them, softly pulsing in front of her.  
"Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings." The first creature said softly.  
"The King and Queen treated the human child as their own." the second continued.  
"Underland was full of hope." The third finished.  
"Wait!" too late, the lights flashed on and the creatures were gone. For a while she ran through the house, desperately seeking answers, and then skidded to a halt in front of the chains guarding the stairs.  
Her pause lasted only a minute and then she had leapt over them and was dashing down the stairs. She hit the bottom, almost fell, and stumbled forward into dark shadow...no, the light had vanished again. She looked up and saw two flea-like monster's standing in her way now.  
"Then...one day…" the first stuttered in a gravelly voice.  
"The human became very ill." The second one said.  
They faded away unnoticed.  
Ill.  
The child was sick.  
Marinette felt her insides tighten.  
Panic started to flood through her but she forced it back. With a growl she pushed forward, the light from the stairs behind her fading to nothing.  
It wasn't a full minute later that she walked into the next encounter, three carrot-like faces.  
"The sick human had only one request." The first said in a voice that sounded as though it was more fit for chuckling than telling such tales.  
"To see the flowers from their village." The second stated.  
"But there was nothing we could do" the third said and there was sorrow in its voice as they faded away.  
There was no light to return to and Marinette was left to move forward in the darkness.  
By the time the next monsters appeared, she could no longer see anything in front of her, she simply heard them there.  
"The next day..." the first grumbled eagerly.  
"The next day..." a second echoed.  
There was a pause.  
"Yes?" Marinette prompted.  
"The human died."  
Her heart stopped. A chill seemed to pass over her. "That...that can't be... no way..." she murmured, trying to comprehend those three, horrible words. That couldn't be right.  
This couldn't be happening.  
The Child couldn't be dead.  
She stumbled forward and almost fell but caught herself against the wall. "Why?" the tear strangled word slipped and fell into empty darkness without an answer.  
Wearily she dragged herself forward until she heard movement again.  
"Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul." The first voice started.  
"He transformed into a being with incredible power." The second rasped.  
She listened halfheartedly for anything else but they were gone so she continued placing one foot in front of the other.  
"With the human soul, Asriel crossed through the barrier."  
Marinette stopped; she hadn't even heard them before the voice spoke.  
"He carried the human's body into the sunset." A second voice said.  
"Back to the village of the humans." A nasally third stated.  
Marinette moved on again.  
"Asriel reached the center of the village." The voices went on with their story and she didn't stop. They kept talking as she walked by. Voices in the dark.  
"There he found a bed of golden flowers."  
"He carried the human onto it."  
"Suddenly, screams rang out."  
"The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body."  
"They thought that he had killed the child."  
"The humans attacked him with everything they had."  
"He was struck with blow after blow."  
"Asriel had the power to destroy them all."  
"But..."  
"Asriel did not fight back."  
"Clutching the human..."  
"Asriel smiled and walked away."  
"Wounded, Asriel stumbled home."  
"He entered the castle and collapsed."  
"His dust spread across the garden."  
"The kingdom fell into despair."  
"The King and Queen had lost two children in one night."  
"The humans had once again taken everything from us."  
"The king hid away for a long time."  
"Until the purple butterflies found him."  
"And then..."  
"The king decided it was time to end our suffering."  
"Every human who falls down here must die."  
"With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever."  
"And with the right Souls..."  
"We can get out with only a few."  
"We have the others."  
"The special Souls."  
"The Miraculous Souls."  
"Only one is missing."  
".............."  
"It's not long now."  
They were all talking at once now.  
"King Asgore will let us go."  
"King Asgore will give us hope."  
"King Asgore will save us all."  
"You should be smiling too" Suggested a single voice.  
"Aren't you excited?" Asked another.  
"Aren't you happy?" asked a third.  
"You're going to be free."  
She was out of the darkness now, kneeling on another metal sidewalk and weeping. Why did it end like that? Why had something so horrible happened? Why hadn't anyone fixed it? What was she supposed to do?  
She knelt and cried until she had nothing more to cry, then she stood. She had come to the gates of the castle itself. She didn't know what else she had to pull her forward, only that she had come too far to turn back.  
Reaching up she pulled out one of her hair ribbons and tied it to a nearby post. "Find me, Chat." She murmured, slowly releasing the red fabric and watching it flutter down to hang there, a splash of color in the white and grey landscape.  
She pulled out her other ribbon and fixed her hair back before straightening her back and marching forward. She may not be able to save the Child, or Asriel or the other humans...but she could save the monsters. She could save Asgore. She could destroy the Akumas and then...the barrier.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long! I actually had it finished last week but there was glitch in the editing and then I got lazy...so anyways, here it is! And the ending is so close! Stay with me guys! And thanks for reading!  
> As always: BEWARE THE SPOILERS! And enjoy!

Chapter 19  
The doors crashed shut in her face. Great gates, practically carved out of the rock face, were the last barrier between her and the castle.  
"I can do this" Marinette told herself.  
From the gate itself, a large formation of bulges parted to reveal a giant suit of armor that had been previously hidden in the doors. It reminded her of the giant robots in the shows she had heard Adrien watched. She had watched all of them just for that...and never told him. She had hardly ever said anything to Adrien. Only...she had. Adrien is Chat. She didn't know how she felt about that yet, but she did know that she missed Chat and would give anything for him to be there beside her at that moment.  
A strangely fish-like head grinned at her from inside the armor but Ladybug mostly noticed the bags under her eyes and the vacant look on her face. Undoubtedly akumatized. She sucked in a deep breath and readied herself.

* * *

 

"She's reached the Castle gates!" Alphys stuttered in horror "And Undyne has come out!"  
"The Gate guard." Metteton explained without slowing down.  
"My great Mentor!" Papyrus added proudly.  
"Ladybug can get by her." Adrien announced sternly. "She always gets by."  
"Of course she can." Mettaton snapped "The real concern is what state she'll be in afterwards because I doubt Asgore will feel like waiting to claim his final "Miraculous" Soul."  
"Wait" Adrien almost stopped "What do you mean "Miraculous"?"  
"It's what he calls the especially strong souls that fall down here" Alphys explained. "If we gather all seven we can break the barrier. So far he's got five."  
"Then she's not the last one?" Papyrus asked in surprise.  
"No" Mettaton jerked a finger at Adrien. "He is."  
"What?!" Adrien snapped.  
"The butterfly was following you." Alphys pointed out "They only follow victims-to-be and there's only one fate for a human down here."  
Adrien had the sudden, uncomfortable notion that this group of monsters could very well be leading him into a trap. And he was going to follow them into it. Because it might lead him to his Lady. _'Hold on, Ladybug.'_

* * *

 

Marinette hit the far wall and slid down. Pain pulsed through her battered body but she gritted her teeth and stood again, determined to get through those gates.  
"I, Undyne, will bring you down human!" The creature in the robot roared at her as a giant ax swung for the girl's head. "And then I'll take your Soul to Asgore!" Her next rant dissolved into a fit of maniacal laughter and the robot's arms jerked around without direction, the ax slicing the air and destroying the mountainside around them.  
Ladybug dodged out of the way of the tumbling masses of rocks and swishing blade. She tightened her grip on her yo-yo. If she could just get a moment of breathing space she could use Lucky Charm...but that was impossible at the moment with all the chaos around her. She ducked beneath the blade and tried to shoot her weapon at the driver's head.  
The fish-woman laughed and actually aimed for her this time when the the robot tore a javelin free of the gates.  
Ladybug stared at the long shaft of wood pointed at her and tried, unsuccessfully, to swallow her fear.

* * *

 

Adrien saw it first despite not being in the front, the flutter of red amidst the grey and white landscape. He tore ahead of the others and slid to a stop beside the pole supporting the single red ribbon. He gently pulled it off and held it tightly. She was waiting for him. Wordlessly he stepped into the courtyard that rang with the sounds of a fight. With every step his transformation swept over him faster.

* * *

 

The blade swung.  
Ladybug was pinned.  
Where could she go?  
What could she do?  
Panicked thoughts swirled through her head but no solution appeared, everything faded to the static of panic when she looked at that dreaded blade hanging over her head.  
The ax was coming down.  
"Cataclysma!"  
A dark shape hit the huge blade and it disintegrated instantly.  
For a moment she stood there, staring at the space before her, unable to believe what had just happened, until a familiar voice spoke by her side.  
"Miss me, my Lady?"  
She turned and found Chat by her side, smiling softly.  
She stared at him for a long time before saying the first thing that came to mind. "You're late."  
He blinked at her in surprise and then his smile turned cheeky "You move fast. It took me awhile to cat-up!"  
Tears filled her eyes even as her first real smile in a long time filled her face. "I missed you."  
His smile turned soft again and he tilted his head. "I missed you too."  
The robot's roar shook the castle and ended their moment.  
Ladybug felt all air leave her body as Chat slammed into her, propelling them both out of the way as the robot's driver smashed the whole thing into the mountainside.  
"Wait! Undyne! Stop! You're making a great mistake!" Papyrus shouted as the rest of the monsters came pouring on-scene. "I'm sure you can be good friends if you'd just..." he was cut off and forced to duck as the robot swung a fist over his head, showering him in a rain of debris as it slowly but surely fell apart.  
"Now, now, Undyne" Mettaton caught the fist before it hit him and shoved back, throwing the whole gargantuan thing backwards. "That's not very nice of you."  
Ladybug gaped at him while Chat pulled her to her feet. "You didn't hit me that hard when we fought."  
"That's because I wasn't trying to hurt you." Mettaton bopped her gently on her small button nose.  
She wrinkled her nose in annoyance but didn't comment. Instead she turned to her partner who was glowering at the TV star. "Distract it. Give me five minutes so I can use Lucky Charm."  
"No." He snapped quickly.  
She blinked in surprise. "No?"  
He shook his head. "No, we'll hold it off and I'll rejoin you when I'm powered back up but you can't waste your power here. You have to find Asgore Ladybug. Papillon has him akumatized in there and if you don't stop him...terrible things will happen."  
"I know..." she hesitated then took a deep breath. "You'll handle this then?"  
He nodded and clapped her shoulder. "Just go."  
She nodded and met his eyes. "Make sure you come after me."  
He smiled "I always do."  
She nodded "I know." And then she was off, ducking between the still open gates while the robot sought to avenge itself on Mettaton.  
Chat Noir rolled his shoulders, took a deep breath, and decided to see how much action he could get out of his last five-minutes before he detransformed.  
"Has anyone seen Sans?" Papyrus bellowed as he kicked the robot, pointlessly, in its metal shins.  
"Worry about yourself...Alphys will you please get out of here?" Mettaton shouted at the dino-lady who was squeaking and scuttling under his feet.  
"I can shut it down i..i..if I can just plu..u...ug this in!" With another shriek she ducked out of the way of a flailing kick.  
Mettaton rolled his eyes.  
"Let me see" Chat took the chip from her "I'll get it in."  
"Great! I mean...no...thanks...er...careful...oh...!" And with that she scurried back around the corner.

* * *

 

The great empty corridors seemed to stretch forever as she ran and ran. Ladybug hoped there weren't any optical illusions in the endless stretches of walls because she couldn't see them and she didn't have time to double back and check. She could only pray that the monster King lay at the very end.  
Suddenly a figure stood ten paces away from her.  
With a gasp she skidded to a halt barely a foot in front of a waiting skeleton.  
The short figure regarded her with a look that gave her chills. She could have been a stranger. And he a guard.  
Somewhere outside, bells tolled mournfully into the evening air.  
"So you finally made it" Sans sighed. "The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the King. Together...you will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will be judged."  
Her heart sped up but she couldn't make herself speak much less move.  
"You will be judged for your every action. Every word. Every bit of pain you've caused..." he stopped and took a breath before giving her the most rueful kind of look a skull could possibly give. "...but you're different. Technically speaking, you're not supposed to be here which might be why you're so different. Course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. Just different. Probably because of that Miraculous Soul you've got but..." His look turned slightly quizzical. "Maybe it's just you. No matter the struggles or hardships you faced...you strived to do the right thing. You refused to hurt anyone. Even when you ran away, you did it with a smile. You never forced anyone's hand, but they're out there, fighting for you now. I don't know why." He smiled slightly, wistfully almost. "You're just like Frisk."  
Her heart skipped a beat.  
It skipped again,  
And almost stopped altogether.  
"What...that name...Frisk..." she was almost gasping. It was like a key clicking in a lock. Something fell into place, and the door burst open. The door to her memories.  
Everything returned, everything about that terrible night...


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it's a little late, I know, but here it is! I won't have this finished before Christmas but maybe before the New Year? We'll see. Thanks for sticking with it!  
> As always, beware the spoilers. And enjoy!

Chapter 20  
The Mountains were hot, nearly steaming in the summer heat. The cicadas buzzing chirps vibrated throughout the small village Marinette found herself standing in. They were on a school trip visiting the little rural town and experiencing farm life first hand.  
They were staying in a series of log cabins and assigned chores to help out with during the day. They would be here for two weeks.  
The teachers were going over the class rules for their stay for the hundredth time and everyone was drowning them out by now. "...And stay clear of Mt. Ebot..."  
Marinette was excited, she loved the country and was eager to get to work in the gardens. Beside her, Alya groaned and wiped the sweat from her face. A trip to the country had not been her idea of a fun summer break. But that's how things had been scheduled. The trip had been optional but Alya's mother had insisted she go.  
"Stop moaning" Marinette shoved her friend playfully. "This'll be fun! You'll see."  
"I just hope nothing amazing happens while I'm away. Just imagine how awful it would be if some amateur reporter uncovered Ladybug's identity while I'm stuck milking cows!" Alya groaned again.  
Marinette refrained from pointing out that, by technical definition, Alya _was_ an amateur reporter. Instead she searched for something to brighten her friend's mood and instead became distracted. Adrien was standing just ahead of her and looking as excited as she felt. Which had her wondering...did he like farms?  
Had he ever been on one before?  
What was his favorite part?  
What did he like doing?  
Did he like the handier things such as mending sheds and cleaning stalls?  
Or maybe he liked tending the animals.  
Which animal was his favorite?  
Maybe he liked gardening!  
A quick form darted past her gaze and her eyes fastened on a small girl toting a large bucket of what looked like corn kernels towards the barn.  
The girl was tiny and probably no more than ten years old, with a short bob of brown hair and nearly drowning in an overly large blue sweater with pink stripes. No matter how accustomed to the heat you were, it was far too hot for such a sweater and the girl was sweating like crazy, gasping for breath as she dragged the bucket behind her. She wore shorts beneath the sweater and a ratty pair of brown shoes as well.  
Forgetting the moaning Alya for a bit, Marinette dropped her bag and hurried over the help the girl.  
"Excuse me."  
The child jumped and turned a surprisingly blank expression Marinette's way.  
Marinette smiled winningly. "Would you like some help?"  
The girl's eyes darted around as though searching for the person Marinette was speaking to. When it became apparent that person was the girl, she looked blankly at the speaker again.  
Marinette reached for the bucket and, after a moment's hesitation, the girl released it. She gave Marinette a once-over glance before spinning on her heels and running off.  
Marinette watched her leave in surprise and confusion. She hadn't really wanted any thanks but...she didn't have the faintest idea what she was supposed to do with the bucket.  
As the teachers called for the kids to gather, she hurried into the barn and set it just inside, pausing when she saw the girl there. The child had run back and returned with a small pouch of oats which she was now feeding to a horse twice her size.  
"Should I just leave this here?" Marinette asked.  
The girl tilted her head back to regard her a moment before nodding solemnly and returning her attention to the horse. She stretched up on tiptoe to allow the animal easy reach of her small hand and, as she did so, the sweater sleeve slid down a fraction to reveal a mottling yellow and black bruise.  
Marinette froze, her eyes fastened on the bruise. Where on earth could a child have gotten such a wound? It was huge and hideous and Marinette felt her stomach drop as the question flashed across her mind. How many more bruises was that sweater hiding?  
But the teachers were calling her name and she needed to go. Reluctantly she slipped out of the barn and back to Alya who was waiting impatiently by her bag. "Where'd you go?" She hissed as Marinette slid in line next to her. She glanced at her friend's face and her annoyance drained away, replaced with concern "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, it's...it's nothing. Probably just the heat." Marinette mumbled, hoping that the bruise had simply been a trick of the shadows in the barns.

The rooms they would be staying in were cozy despite having little furniture and Marinette was more than happy to flop down on the bed, ready to relax after the long car drive.  
But that was not to be. Dinner was served and then the girls prepared for their turns in the showers before, finally they were allowed to head to bed. By the time Marinette's head hit the pillow, she had already forgotten the small girl and the bruise.

The next day they were up early in the morning and heading out to help with chores. They were gathering eggs, milking a cow, and feeding various animals, all before breakfast.  
Alya groaned the entire time about her empty stomach but Marinette enjoyed the work. When the landowner found out she lived in a bakery, he sent her to help in the kitchens and soon delicious aromas were wafting out the window and through the yard, drawing crowds of hungry workers to the table.  
The landowner was their official host and tour guide. He employed his tenants, the farmer and his wife, to help him show the kids what to do. The Farmer, John Logan, was a quiet surly type who seemed mostly annoyed by having so many kids about. His wife, Laura Logan, was absolutely silent and deadpan. No matter what she said or did, Marinette found it impossible to extract any form of emotion or conversation from the woman the entire time they were in the kitchen.  
No one outside of the school party joined them for breakfast but they saw them afterwards when they returned to the chores, heading into the fields next.  
Marinette had only been there half an hour, and had barely managed to find any green beans on her own, when the landowner, Caleb, and John approached her.  
"Hey, Marinette!" Caleb greeted her cheerily.  
"Hello sir." She smiled.  
"How's it going? You doing ok?"  
She wiped sweat from her face and smiled "I'm ok; I'm having trouble finding the actual vegetables though."  
Caleb chuckled "I understand. It's tough spotting them at first."  
"I really enjoy working here though" she murmured, stroking a plant lovingly.  
"That's great, I'm glad." He grinned but it faded fast. "Listen, I heard from your teacher that you do some babysitting at home." He gestured to his companion "John and Sarah have recently been taking care of a foster kid. The thing is, what with helping all these kids learn how to work the farm, they haven't got time to keep an eye on her and get things done. Think you could help them out and hang out with little Frisk for us?"  
Marinette's eyes dropped and, sure enough, the small girl from yesterday stood behind them, nearly hidden by their legs.  
Despite her disappointment at having to leave the gardens so soon, Marinette smiled brightly. "Sure, I'd love to!"  
Caleb almost wilted in relief. "Thanks so much. You're really helping us out. Ok Frisk, go with Marinette back to the house. Show her Charlie, ok?"  
Frisk didn't answer; she was busy watching Marinette warily.  
"Hey Frisk" Marinette held out her hand "wanna hang out with me?"  
Frisk eyed the hand distrustingly until John growled and then she was quick to take it.  
Marinette pursed her lips. Something about all this struck her as...strange. But she didn't say anything until they were nearing the house again. "Is Charlie the big horse in the barns?" Marinette asked as they passed the big barn doors.  
Frisk jumped at the sudden sound of the question and then, after a moment, nodded.  
"Is he your horse?"  
Another brief pause and then another nod, this time accompanied by a defiant look on the child's face.  
"He's really John's, isn't he?" Marinette asked.  
Reluctantly, another nod.  
"But I bet he likes you best" Marinette whispered conspiratorially as she crouched down to the small girl's height.  
Relief at the understanding seemed to wash over Frisk's face and she nodded eagerly. There was another pause. Marinette prepared to stand up and continue to the house but Frisk grabbed her hand.  
"Do...you want to pet him?" the child asked in a soft, husky voice.  
Marinette beamed "Yes, yes I would!"  
And, to her surprise, Frisk smiled back, a glowing grin that spread across her face as she pulled Marinette after her into the barn.  
Turns out, there were seven horses there in all and Frisk knew everything there was to know about all of them. She showed Marinette each one and where they liked to be stroked and what not to do and told her which ones were the fastest and which were the strongest. But, in the end, it was obvious old Charlie was her favorite.  
By the time evening rolled around, the two of them were still in the barns, admiring the horses and talking about animals in general. Once you got her to open up, Frisk was a talkative little thing and Marinette loved listening to her prattle on and on...it reminded her of Mannon but Frisk seemed better behaved.  
"Frisk! What are you doing?!" John's rough voice snapped through the peaceful barn and several of the horses snorted and stamped in surprise.  
Frisk nearly jumped a mile high and then something on her face changed, like a light went out. Her mouth clamped shut for the first time in hours and she seemed to duck into her enormous sweater.  
"Why haven't you brought the girl to the house yet?" John growled at her "You know its dinner time!"  
"It was my fault!" Marinette cut in quickly as Frisk seemed ready to wilt away entirely. "I got caught up in the horses and we didn't hear the bell...you have some lovely animals here by the way!"  
The farmer snorted at her then leveled a glare at the child. He pointed to the barn doors and Frisk scurried out wordlessly. "You too, Missy" he growled.  
Marinette slid by under his stern gaze and hurried outside. Frisk was nowhere to be seen and did not appear for dinner either. And Marinette was left to wonder why on earth John had seemed so angry.

Days passed and Marinette found herself working the farm less and less and spending more and more time with Frisk. Despite wanting desperately to see the fields and crops, Marinette couldn't bring herself to leave the child alone for more than a few hours at a time.  
Frisk was almost always silent whenever they met up in the morning but would soon open up and start talking before lunch came around. But only to Marinette; She fell silent when anyone else showed up, even Adrien, and a dour look hung over her face whenever John or Laura were nearby. And in the brief amount of times that Frisk's sleeves ever fell back, they revealed ugly bruises that were shaped suspiciously like large hands. The sight always sent dread and fear surging through Marinette. Where had she gotten those bruises? Had someone actually hurt her? Who would do something like that to a child?  
Eventually Alya joined them and, though Frisk took a little while to warm up to the new acquaintance, soon the threesome were enjoying their days happily, if a little solitarily. Frisk hated being out in the fields when anyone else was out there and she despised being in sight of any adult so they spent most of their time hidden away in the barns.

"What's the deal with the creepy mountain?" Alya asked one blessedly cool day, jerking a thumb to the silhouetted shape outside the barn doors.  
Frisk pursed her lips, kicked her legs, and looked Alya in the eye "Mt. Ebot is haunted."  
"Really?" This caught Alya's attention. Being the one area forbidden to them, it was obviously the place of most interest for the budding reporter.  
Frisk nodded. "They say no one ever returns who's gone up. Once there was a kid who went up. They say a monster ate her soul and brought the body back."  
"Ooh! Good story!" Alya was jotting it down on her phone.  
Frisk stared off longingly at the mountains.  
"Have you ever been up there?" Marinette asked.  
A pause, then slowly, Frisk nodded. "I like it up there. No one would follow me there." Her eyes took on a wistful hue. "One day, I'm going to live up there. Alone."  
There was a moment of silence before she looked at her companions and quickly added "But you can come too if you want."  
Alya grinned and shoved her phone in her pocket before ruffling the small girl's hair. "I like the city too much but I'm definitely coming to visit!"  
Frisk grinned.  
Marinette smiled. She enjoyed their talks like this.  
And the weeks passed quickly.  
Too quickly.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry! I really did mean to get this posted earlier but I've been in a holiday/end of the year haze and done literally nothing! Anyways, here it is! The mysterious backstory finally revealed! And (deep breath) I can FINALLY move into the climax now. Which means (and I know I've said this before but if I really stay on top of it this time)...the end is near! Thanks for sticking with me, beware the spoilers, and enjoy!

Chapter 21  
It was storming the night before they were scheduled to leave. Frisk was sitting in Marinette's room as she and Alya packed.  
Marinette pretended not to notice, but Frisk was being unusually quiet and it worried her. She bustled about, shoving things into her suitcase and stealing glances at the child who stared forlornly out the rain splattered window.  
"I think that's everything" Alya announced as she finished her examination under Marinette's bed and stood up.  
"Frisk" Marinette approached the girl, knowing she should send her to bed before John came stomping up to get her.  
"I don't want you to go." Frisk murmured, her eyes fastening on Marinette's reflection in the glass.  
"We can still stay in touch." Marinette promised. "I'll call you..."  
"No. You won't. You can't." Frisk murmured softly.  
"Of course I will!"  
"He won't let you."  
Marinette's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"  
Frisk shook her head and pursed her lips, staring defiantly at the window.  
"Frisk" Marinette placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and turned her around "what do you mean?"  
Suddenly there was a crash outside that shook the entire house.  
The three girls screamed as they were thrown to the floor and the furniture slid around the room.  
Alya was the first to stumble to her feet and make for the window. "It a monster!" She yelled in horror "It's huge and...is that straw? Oh my goodness, it's John! And Laura!"  
"What?" Marinette shouted in panic, trying to comprehend her friends’ shouts.  
"They've been Akumatized!" Alya shouted, snatching her phone out of her pocket as she headed for the door. "I sure hope Ladybug can make it out here on time!"  
"Where are you going?" Marinette shouted as she stumbled to her feet and pulled Frisk up with her.  
"I'm going to catch it all on film and see if anyone needs help too!" Alya called over her shoulder as she darted down the hall.  
Marinette took a step after her but Frisk clung to her legs, whimpering in terror.  
For a moment the girl stood there, torn with indecision, then she pried herself free and knelt in front of the child. "Frisk, wait for me here. I'll be right back, ok?"  
She didn't wait for an answer. She didn't look back. She ran out into the empty hall and towards the source of the chaos. "Tikki! Transform me!" she shouted.  
Her kwami appeared at her shoulder for the briefest moment, a look of dread on her round pink face, before she melded with Marinette's Miraculous.  
By the time Marinette reached the window she was Ladybug. A quick glance outside assured her no one was watching and she silently slipped out and swung around the few trees in the yard, hoping to make it look like she was coming from anywhere but the house.  
She landed roughly on the yard and took a good look at the Akumas victims. And froze. They were scarecrows of John and Laura. Big, mean, angry scarecrows ravaging the farm mercilessly and stomping down anyone in their path.  
Ladybug cast about for something to use to stop them but the lack of building, trees or anything else to gain height was a serious detriment to the way she was used to working. She flipped open her phone and dialed Chat's number, hoping against hope that he would somehow be able to make it to the farm in time to help.  
"You called, My Lady?" Chat Noir's voiced purred smugly behind her.  
She whirled in surprise and he bowed quickly before straightening and grinning at her.  
She hid her relief and pointed to the Akuma victims. "Any ideas?"  
His grin died and he shook his head.  
She faced the problem again "Well we need to find where the Akuma is but first..."  
"We help the citizens" He was already darting past her so he didn't see the small smile that twisted her lips as she nodded and ran after him.  
It was the work of a few seconds to pull and push the people into the barn that was, as yet, untouched and sheltering the terrified animals.  
With the yard clear, they were ready to get to work.  
And then a shriek split the air, drowning out a crash of thunder.  
Ladybug looked back and felt her heart miss a beat.  
The Scarecrows had broken into the house.  
John was holding Frisk in his huge hands and he was squeezing her and she was screaming and crying.  
"STOP!" Ladybug charged him, not waiting to see if Chat was behind her. Not caring. She had to save Frisk. She had to save the girl.  
Tossing her yo-yo she jerked his hand down hard, her wire slicing through the straw.  
The monster roared as its limb fell free.  
Ladybug slashed repeatedly at the bundle and then dove inside, pulling Frisk out before she hit the ground.  
The small girl was moaning and her body looked bruised.  
"Frisk." She whispered the word as she landed lightly. This was her fault. She had told her to wait inside. She had forgotten about her. Frisk relied on her to remember her. To protect her. "I'm so sorry."  
Frisk peered up at her from between bruised eyes. "Marinette..." she murmured. Suddenly she convulsed and Marinette nearly dropped her. Quickly she lowered the girl down and then Frisk was off like a rocket. Sprinting for the mountainside.  
"No! Frisk, come back!" In this weather the rocky slope could be deadly and Ladybug wasn't positive that her Miraculous could bring back the dead. She didn't really want to test it.  
"Ladybug!" Chat called after her but she was already chasing the child up the steep mountain.  
Sheets of rain poured down, thunder boomed overhead and lighting split the sky blindingly.  
Still Frisk ran on. "Go away!"  
"Frisk, come back!" Marinette pleaded.  
"No! I'm never going back! Marinette is leaving and then I'll be alone with them again! And they'll hit me! Because they don't want me! Nobody does!" Frisk knew these forests and Ladybug didn't. Already her voice was growing faint in the tangled underbrush.  
"Frisk!" Marinette sobbed. "Please. I won't leave you. I'll protect you. I promise!"  
"Ladybug!" Chat caught her arm and jerked her to a halt.  
"Let me go!" She struggled to pull away. "I have to find her!"  
"You have to stop the Scarecrows!" He shouted over the thunder. "They're about to break into the barn!"  
"I have to find Frisk!" She panted desperately. "Frisk! Frisk!"  
"Ladybug! If you stop the Akumas then you can put everything back to the way it should be!" He tried to talk gently but was still shouting over the storm. "I can't do it alone so please..."  
"No! No it's wrong! It's all wrong it was never right! They hurt her and I...I was going to leave her...I can't leave her..." Marinette didn't even know what she was saying anymore but her tears were mingling with the rain and the one thought in her mind was Frisk. She had to find Frisk. "LET ME GO!" She jerked out of Chat's hands and took off full speed up the mountain.  
"Ladybug!"  
A child's scream rent the night air and Marinette stumbled but didn't stop. "Frisk! FRISK!" Her voice was growing hoarse but she couldn't stop shouting and crying. She came to what looked like a tunnel. Frisk had to be there. She just had to be.  
A step.  
Her foot caught on a root.  
Her body twisted and dropped.  
She was falling. It was dark. Everything was dark.  
She twisted around and stopped.  
Purple butterflies were swarming over the hole and the Akumas were rearing their ugly heads over it and Chat...Chat was reaching for her.  
"Ladybug!" His scream was desperate. Panicked. Terrified.  
His back was to them. He didn't see them coming.  
She did.  
She watched, helplessly as the Scarecrows hit him in the back. A grunt of pain escaped him and he was toppling after her.  
"Chat Noir!" She screamed, reaching for him. "Chat!"  
But he was already unconscious.  
Maybe worse.  
Tears filled her eyes. "I'm so, so sorry."  
Pain erupted everywhere and darkness took over.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I actually had this all typed out and ready to go last week and I was so proud of myself...and then I lost internet. So, really sorry but I actually have a real excuse this time. Thanks for sticking with me!  
> Beware the spoilers, you know the drill, and enjoy!

Chapter 22  
Marinette slid to her knees, tears pouring down her face. "Chat...Chat I'm so sorry." She whispered. "And Frisk." She looked at Sans. "I have to find Frisk! I have to save her, but..." The tears flooded her eyes so that she could barely see. "But she's dead, isn't she? The human in the story..."  
"Was called Chara" Sans answered quietly. "She was long before your time. She...was no Frisk. Some round here say she haunts the Underworld and that she's the one who called the Butterflies here in the first place." He shook his head and jerked a thumb behind him. "But Frisk is there. You've all been on separate journeys but, down here, everything merges at some point. First though..." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "You're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. Your actions here...will determine the fate of the entire world. If you refuse to fight...Asgore will take your Soul and destroy humanity. But if you kill Asgore and go back...monsters will remain trapped in Underland. What will you do?"  
He waited a heartbeat and then shook his head "Well, if I were you, I would have thrown in the towel by now. But you didn't get this far by giving up, did you? That's right. You have something more than that special Soul of yours. You have something called 'determination.' Frisk had it too. As long as you hold on... so as long as you do what's in your heart...I believe you can do the right thing. Alright. We're all counting on you...Marinette." And, somehow, he winked at her. "Good luck!" And then he was gone.  
Marinette sucked in a deep breath and then balled her fists together, gathered whatever courage remained in her, and marched through the hall and under the waiting archway at the end with all the determination she had. She didn't stop walking until she had reached the end of the hall. Her step faltered as she passed under the dark arch that sat next to a plaque reading 'Throne Room', but she didn't stop until she was through.  
And then she froze.  
She was standing in a field of golden flowers. Sunlight seemed to seep in lazily, warming the room and lighting up the very center where a humming figure stood inspecting the flowers.  
He didn't seem to notice her and she stood there awkwardly for a moment, trying to figure out what she was supposed to be doing. Wasn't Frisk supposed to be here?  
A chill of fear slid down her spine but she quickly shook it off and cleared her throat."  
The humming stopped. "Oh? Is someone there?" The cloaked figure asked "Just a moment. I have almost finished watering these flowers."  
Ladybug clenched her fists. There, damage done. No going back now.  
"...Here we are!" He straightened and turned around to tower over her with a friendly smile on his furry, goat-like face. "Howdy! How can I..." And then the smile vanished and he pulled back in horror. "Oh." He turned away and there was a pause of tense silence. Then "I so badly want to say ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ But...you know how it is."  
More silence.  
Asgore paced and Ladybug took a good look at him. There was something...off...about the person in front of her and it had nothing to do with the cape, the crown, or the fact that he resembled a goat.  
Finally the monster king turned back to her with a forced, awkward smile. "Nice day today, huh?" And that's when he flickered.  
Flickered.  
It was the only word that came to mind when he and the field of flowers appeared to blink out and then reappear.  
Ladybug stiffened and caught her breath. "What..."  
Asgore tilted his head curiously. “Sorry, I didn't" he flickered "didn't catch that."  
Ladybug stepped back, her eyes darting around, trying to find something that would explain what was happening.  
"Are you leaving?" Asgore's face drooped "I'm afraid I can't allow that." The room flickered again and then everything went dark. "So sorry." Asgore's voice echoed hollowly around her.  
There was a flash of light and then she saw him, Asgore clothed in heavy-set armor and clutching a burning red trident. He raised the trident above his head and it came down directly at her.  
With a yelp she jumped back and readied herself but the trident didn't reach for her. It stabbed downwards and destroyed Mercy out of the Choices hovering in front of her.  
There was a moment of silence before she said the first thing that came to mind. "I didn't know you could do that."  
Asgore didn't answer. He just attacked.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me! Posting on a Friday! But here it is, the next chapter at last! And I have great news! The next chapter (after this one) WILL BE THE LAST! Yep, you heard me, the end is in sight so hang in there guys!   
> Also I really need to heavily emphasize the spoilers here. If you ever want to play Undertale...well, I'm totally spoiling the ending and while it is edited a bit to fit my story there are MAJOR spoilers. So...just be forewarned. And enjoy!

Chapter 23  
Chat fell as darkness swept out of the palace and flooded the courtyard. Everything vanished. Sight was replaced with sound as the terrified screams of his companions filled his ears. And then he saw them.  
The Butterflies.  
The Akumas.  
They flitted like willow-the-wisps through darkness and, when they vanished, another screaming voice was silenced.  
He was scared and horrified and angry at his helplessness as he tumbled down, crashing into some sort of floor. With a groan he rolled back to his feet and found himself face-to-face with an Akuma. It hovered briefly just over his mask and a horrible sensation filled him. A burning sense of anger, frustration, misunderstanding, helplessness, need...love.  
And then the Akuma floated past him.  
"Ladybug" he gasped and, without thinking, scrambled after it.

She was angry mostly. Why couldn't Asgore just talk it out with her?  
"Everyone else understood!" she shouted as she lashed out with her yo-yo. "They knew this was wrong! They wanted me to help you! They want me to win! They don't want this!"  
Asgore didn't answer.  
Figures, there was no reasoning with an Akuma-victim. But this was ridiculous. She'd had enough fighting. She wanted it all to end. Now.  
"Lucky Charm!" she called spinning backwards and reaching for the item.  
Small and somewhat triangular, it spun through the air to land deftly in her palm. Her fingers closed around it through reflex as her eyes widened in shock...and horror. The rest of the world seemed to fade away and still. She stood alone, in the dark, her hand raised over her head and clutching a blood-red, spotted knife.  
"What..." the word came out in a strangled gasp.  
The small carving knife glinted in an unseen light.  
And then Asgore hit her and she went sliding backwards to crash into a wall.  
All the fight seemed to have drained from her body as she tried in vain to pull herself back to her feet.  
Her earrings beeped in her ears but she struggled to draw up a sense of urgency with it. All she could think, feel, or hear, was her every sense screaming inside her head. Why a knife? Why did you give me a knife? What am I supposed to do with a knife?"  
She wouldn't fight. She wouldn't kill. She couldn't.  
Asgore's attack hit her again.  
She slid across the room again and hit what felt like a pillar. Blood dribbled down into her eyes and for a moment, everything turned red.  
"NO!" she screamed and threw the knife away.

Her scream echoed through the darkness and Chat Noir felt his heart plummet. He reached out for the Akuma in a moment of desperation. But the Butterfly easily avoided capture and continued on its way uninterrupted.  
And the boy followed.

Asgore was coming but she couldn't pull herself together. He's going to kill me. She thought. But I couldn't kill him. She closed her eyes and squeezed them shut as tears threatened to overwhelm her. I'm sorry Chat. I'm sorry Frisk.  
"LADYBUG!"  
Her eyes shot open. "Chat Noir!" she gasped.  
But she didn't see him. Instead, she saw an Akuma fluttering over her head. Had it come for her? No. It swept past her and disappeared behind her foe. And then Asgore glitched and, in an instant she saw the strings attached to his entire body, jerking him after her.  
Her mind reeled and then everything clicked into place. She somersaulted out of Asgore's reach and then came up in a crouch. For a brief second she continued to slide and then she acquired enough friction and pushed off, diving for the knife.  
Her hand closed over it even as she stuck out her other arm, propelling her body around so as to be facing Asgore as he came up on top of her.  
She slashed and the severed strings fell around them silently.  
Without losing a bit of his momentum, Asgore collapsed with them.  
Her surroundings flickered and then were replaced by a vivid, glowing spectacle.  
A monster of vines and teeth and insect pieces towered over them, a Flower's face in the center leering at the gathering.  
The screams and cries of monsters filled the air and Ladybug felt sure she heard Papyrus and Toriel's voices in them.  
And crouched in front of it all, bleeding, crying, and encircled by luminescent hearts; was Frisk.  
"I'm sorry!" The child sobbed. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save everyone!"  
Slowly, painfully, Ladybug stood and made her way over to the small girl. By the time she fell to her knees behind Frisk, she was Marinette again. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the child. "It's alright" she murmured softly. "It's alright Frisk. It's not over yet. And you're not alone. I'm here."  
"Me too." A hand rested on her back and Marinette looked up into Chat's face.  
He was smiling but there was a confused look in his eyes.  
They stared at each a moment as they each came to understanding.  
"Marinette?" Frisk gasped in awe she came out of her shock.  
Marinette smiled. "Yes. And we're here for you Frisk."  
"We'll make everything okay" Chat smiled at the girl.  
"But..." Frisk looked at the monster laughing at them as it sucked the life out of the world around them.  
Marinette cast about herself for something sweet and came up with a smashed piece of butterscotch pie. It felt like years ago that she stumbled into Toriel's care. Without hesitation to consider how safe the desert was, she ate the pie and felt power fill her body. By the time the rush had passed she was Ladybug once more.  
She grinned and looked to her companion. "Ready?"  
"Always, My Lady?" Chat Noir grinned as he took his place beside her.  
And they charged.  
Attack after attack; the Flower that had harassed Ladybug on first entering Underland sought to destroy them.  
But all of these battles hadn't been pointless.  
Chat and Ladybug worked in the perfect synch and beat him back, bit by bit, step by step, inch by inch.  
"Marinette!" Frisk shouted. "I can hear them! I can hear Papyrus! And Sans! Toriel and Asgore and Undyne..."  
Ladybug looked back but, for a moment, she didn't see Frisk. She saw another girl in a green sweater. She stood over a small Flower. And she held a knife.  
"Call to them!" Chat's voice pulled her back to reality and she saw Frisk clutching at her baggy blue sweater and gazing into the heart of the monster.  
"What?" Frisk called  
"Call to them! Make them hear you Frisk! Call them back!"  
"That's right!" Ladybug shouted "Call them back Frisk!"  
The little girl stood in front of the Flower, took a deep breath and then screamed. "PAPYRUS! SANS! METTATON! ASGORE! TORIEL! COME BACK!" She reached out and kept screaming a list of names.  
"Chat!" Ladybug shouted as she stumbled upon something. "I think I found it!" She reached for the golden flower growing on top of the Monster.  
And then she wasn't on a writhing plant that was trying to eat them. She was standing on the ground. Over the Flower that stared up at her with terrified, tear filled eyes. "Please don't kill me!" he sobbed.  
And then a hand that wasn't hers descended. A hand on a baggy green sweater that clutched a knife. Again and again the knife descended until the horrified little Flower had crumpled away into nothing.  
Heavy breathing filled the silence and then a hoarse voice whispered "Thank you...your power awakened me from death. My name? It's Chara..."  
"NNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" The beast's roar filled the room and shook them all to their knees, crashing through and shattering the image of a ghostly grinning girl descending out of the darkness.  
Ladybug dragged the golden flower off the monster with her as she fell and the Akuma flew out, no longer purple but pure black.  
Sucking in a deep breath to reorient herself, she threw her yo-yo after it as a white light filled the room. An explosion.  
"I see them!" Frisk cried as she stepped into the light.  
"Frisk! No!" Ladybug screamed as dark figure surged out of the spreading luminescence and headed straight for the girl.  
And then the light engulfed them all.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, this is it, the end.  
> Like I mentioned in the last chapter I have some MAJOR spoilers in here for Undertale that might ruin the ending of the game if you haven't played yet. Just be aware.  
> Ok? Ok. (Deep breath) Here we go...

Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow  
'Cause you forgot yesterday  
Maroon 5 'Payphone'

Chapter 24

Choices: Act. Mercy.  
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" That was what Flowey had screamed at her last time she saw him. And then, when he came back, he wasn't a flower anymore. Frisk didn't really understand why, but she knew that he was now Asriel. The king's son. The son who was supposed to have died.  
And he stood there now in front of her. The last of a long line of lost figures surrounded by darkness. The darkness fluttered like butterflies and whispered into her ears.  
"Despair"  
"Death"  
"Loss"  
"Heartache"  
"Unforgivable"  
"Desperation"  
Asriel was surrounded by a swarm of butterflies and crying hard. A small, lonely figure ignored by the others who turned and left as she touched them all, sending her strength into them.  
When she stood in front of Asriel he shuddered "I'm so sorry" he sobbed.  
A moment passed and then he laughed a choking sort of laugh. "I always was a crybaby wasn't I?"  
Frisk shook her head. "I wouldn't know."  
He frowned. "I know. You're not really Chara, are you? Chara's been gone for a long time. Um...what...what is your name?"  
"Frisk" she responded quietly.  
"Frisk? That's...a nice name." They were quiet another moment. "Frisk" Asriel murmured "I haven't felt like this in a long time." His furry hand crept over his heart and clutched at his green sweater. "As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However...when I was absorbing everyone's souls inside of me...I not only felt my own compassion come back, but I can now feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much. And...they care about you too Frisk. I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus...Sans...Undyne...Alphys...Toriel...I can even feel Marinette too." He paused to blink back more tears and took a shaky breath. "Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you...it feels like they all really love you."  
There was a pause and she continued to stare at him stoically.  
He laughed sadly "Frisk...I...I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, Family, bystanders...There's no excuse for what I've done."  
In the following silence, Frisk stared at her final two Choices. Forgive and Do Not. As simple as that. All the battles and the pain. All the fun and friends. From the moment she woke up down here, no, even before that; all of her life seemed to have come to pinpoint on these two choices.  
She Chose.  
"Wh...what?"  
She just stared at him, waiting for her Choice to sink in.  
"Frisk...come on" Asriel almost sounded like he was pleading. "You're...you're gunna make me cry again." He sniffled loudly and covered his face with his furry hands. "...Besides," he sniffled again and didn't look up "even if you do forgive me...I can't keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them. But first...there's something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. A desire strong enough to call in those awful butterflies. With everyone's power, with everyone's Determination, it's time for monsters...to finally go free." He dropped his hands from his face and then raised them at his sides. Slowly he rose into the air.  
He looked at Frisk and mouthed something silently before closing his eyes. Slowly he began chanting a spell.  
The Miraculous souls appeared behind him along with thousands of monster souls. They spun and swirled faster and faster as the chant picked up speed. The blinding flash from before spread out from them and engulfed the room.  
And then it felt as though the world split in two.  
The Barrier was destroyed.  
When Asriel came back down Frisk stepped to his side.  
He faced her. "Frisk...I have to go now. Without the power of everyone's Souls...I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while...I'll turn back into a flower...I'll stop being 'myself.' I could even call the butterflies back. I'll stop being able to feel love again. So...Frisk...its best if you just forget about me, ok? Just go be with the people who love you." He looked small, tired, and broken when he said it.  
She knew what that felt like. Frisk didn't need the Choices to tell her what to do this time. She stepped past them and hugged her friend; this small lost boy so like her.  
There was a stunned pause, and then slowly, Asriel's arms wrapped around her as well and his head rested on her shoulder.  
Frisk felt his tears soaking through her sweater and made shushing noises like Marinette did for her when she cried.  
Asriel laughed bitterly "I don't want to let go..." he murmured in a choked voice.  
She stood there, patting his back until his arms dropped to his sides. Slowly she stepped back and faced him again.  
"Frisk" he whispered "You're...you're going to do a great job, ok? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you now, ok?"  
She smiled and nodded.  
He nodded back and then turned "Well...my time's running out. Goodbye." He started to walk away but then turned back "By the way...Frisk." He called over his shoulder.  
She cocked her head curiously but he hesitated a moment before finishing.  
"...Take care of Mom and Dad for me, ok?" And then he continued walking.  
Frisk stood there, watching until he disappeared.

When Marinette woke up, she was still Ladybug and her yo-yo held an Akuma. A black Akuma.  
Carefully she opened it and a beautiful white butterfly was released into the surrounding garden.  
She watched it until it had all but disappeared before whispering softly "Goodbye, pretty butterfly."  
Sunlight dappled her face and her sore body wanted nothing more than to fall backwards into the surrounding flowers and sleep in the peaceful, still, garden.  
A moan to her left shattered her daze and she cast about for her companions.  
Beside her, Adrien slowly shifted from lying face down to supporting himself on his hands and knees. All around them groans and sobs started to fill the air but when he looked into her eyes, he smiled.  
And her heart didn't stutter and she didn't feel afraid. She felt warm and relieved.  
"Time to finish this, My Lady" He murmured as he stood before her and offered her his hand.  
Wordlessly she accepted his help to her feet.  
Her tired eyes swept the garden three times before she saw the spotted knife lying on the ground a few feet away.  
She walked to it, slowly, solemnly, and picked it up. She stared at it for a long moment. Things could have happened so differently if she had listened to the Flower or her fears. She smiled softly and then threw the blade in the air with a triumphant shout.  
Dazzling light, beautiful and healing, swept out from them and spread to the surrounding monsters and from there to all of Underland.  
No one notice Frisk stand up and silently slip away.  
No one saw her make her way to the river or take the mysterious Ferry all the way back to Snowdin. The empty town was the only witness to her journey back to the Ruins and to a small patch of golden Flowers where a small boy waited for her.  
And nobody saw what happened there except for Frisk and her companion. Their final promises and goodbyes or warnings heeded.  
No one saw Frisk leave her friend or the tears that spilled down her cheeks on the way back.

All anyone knew was that by the time the celebrating and name calling was over, Frisk was there, laughing in Marinette's arms as the monsters congratulated and thanked and doted on her. And she smiled and laughed like no one had ever seen her smile or laugh. And Marinette hugged her tightly.  
When everyone was done crying and reuniting they all turned and headed for the Barrier that separated Underland from the world above.  
All of the monsters flooded out and into the upper world. They stood on the mountainside and watched the sunrise. And they all talked quietly of dreams that could finally become a reality and by the end of the discussion, it was decided that Frisk would go with Toriel. Frisk beamed with pleasure and Toriel looked like she was about to start crying with happiness.  
And then it was time to say goodbye.  
The monsters turned to Adrien and Marinette and a long silence passed. No one knew what to say.  
It didn't last long as Toriel threw her arms around both of them, hugging them to her and sobbing, making them promise to come and visit.  
"I want to...I mean..." Asgore stammered behind them a moment until Toriel glared at him and the words spilled out "I'm truly, really sorry for...you know...trying to kill you I...I'm not sure what came over me..."  
Adrien placed a hand on his arm. "It's alright. We understand."  
"Well, Darling it's been fun" Mettaton leaned over Marinette, a grin plastered to his shiny, plated face.  
She smiled wryly at him. "More or less."  
"Such humor. I can really use that on my new show called..."  
"Drama Robot?" She asked with a laugh.  
He chuckled and then leaned in further until he was uncomfortably close and tapped her nose "Do stay in touch, Darling."  
She couldn't answer as both Adrien and Papyrus dragged her away at that moment.

Sans found Frisk standing just outside the gathering. She had just sent Papyrus to find Marinette and was rolling her shoulders and enjoying not being hugged at the moment.  
They stood there in silence for a long time before Frisk spoke. "I saw Asriel."  
Sans nodded "I know."  
She shot him a look and then focused back on the gathering again. "I figured you did."  
Another bout of silence. And then "You did good Kid."  
She grinned and then, before he could vanish, she hugged him.  
If a skeleton could blush, Sans was probably doing it. But no one saw.

By the time the sun set, Adrien and Marinette had made it back to the farmhouse. Everything had been restored and the land was empty.  
"I'll bet the Akuma's that came here were surplus from Underland." Adrien commented, breaking off a tall strand of overgrown grass.  
"You're probably right." Marinette agreed, her eyes focused on the mountain they had just left.  
They were silent for a long time.  
"So..." Adrien started at last. "You're Ladybug."  
She rubbed her arms and looked her feet. "Yeah...are you...disappointed?"  
He chuckled and shook his head. "That one of my best friends and the most interesting girl I know is my hero? No, I'm not disappointed." A pause "Are you?"  
She choked on something between a laugh and a sob and hugged herself. "No I...Chat Noir is one of my best friends, my partner. And Adrien..." She hugged herself tighter and bit her lip a moment before whispering. "I love you."  
She didn't look up. She didn't want to see his face. Was it bad? Surprised? Shocked? Hurt? Annoyed?  
And then she heard him step up to her side. She looked up as he slid his arm through hers, twined their fingers together, and kissed her. It was short and sweet and on the cheek and sent the butterflies whirling through her stomach again. He stepped back, grinning Chat's grin. "I love you too."  
Her face turned red and she looked down before daring to meet his eyes again as a shy smile spread over her face.

Eventually, Adrien and Marinette made their way back to the nearby town where the local authorities contacted their parents and school teachers, all of whom were relieved to see the children again.  
The monsters from Underland, slowly but surely, integrated themselves into the human world and created lives for themselves, enjoying fresh air and bright sunshine.  
And Ladybug and Chat Noir visited them all often, especially Toriel and Frisk. Ladybug made several 'Surprise Guest Appearances' on the hit new show 'Robo in the Real World'.  
And all of them agreed that their favorite place to meet...was an open field of golden flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that a clear enough ending? I kinda dissolved into mush in the end so if anything didn't make sense/add up/wasn't explained please leave a comment and I'll try to fix it!  
> I just want to give a HUGE thank you to all of my readers! The Silent Ones. The Kudos-Givers. The Commenters. Those who have been with the story since the beginning and those just reading it now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Without your support I wouldn't have been able to finish, so, really, we're all here because of you!  
> I'd really love to see everyone who read this so, if you want to, leave a comment here. It can be as simple as 'Here' or 'read it' but it would mean a lot to me to see all of the people who made this happen.  
> Thanks again for reading!


End file.
